A new(old) friend
by Katherin Bend
Summary: Castle gets more than he bargained for when fate throws an old friend back into his life.
1. Chapter 1

AN : I deleted my story and am trying this again. Apparently there is a reviewer who doesn't understand my difficulties in writing this and getting it over to the fan fic program/app..., and thinks ridiculing is better than constructive criticism. So lets try this one more time. Hi and welcome to my first story in 12 years. Maybe I should say that again. I haven't written anything in 12 years, so I apologize for any glaring grammatical or spacing errors there are. I own only the characters I made up. Thanks and enjoy .

Chapter 1

The meet

The day started out like any other. Rick Castle was walking to the 21st, not really paying attention to where he was going. Thoughts of Kate were clouding his mind… when he collided with another pedestrian .

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry !" he looked down to see a tiny woman fumbling for her phone she dropped when she ran into him.

"no it's my fault I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm so sorry, here let me " he bent down to pick up the device and hand it to her. The woman smiled and held out her hand for her phone. She looked somewhat familiar... he couldn't place where he had seen her before . She looked into his eyes.

"Ricky? Is that you?"

The lightbulb went off in Castles brain . He recognized her voice even after all these years.

"Kat ? My god how are you?" He couldn't believe his luck. Katherin Bend, his first true love , had just collided with him on a busy N.Y.city street. He hadn't seen her in 20 years, and today of all days was when fate intervened. He pulled her into a tight hug . He could feel her relax and wrap her arms around him. They pulled apart and he grabbed her hands .

"What are you doing here ? How have you been ? What have you been doing ?" rapid fire questions came at her .

She laughed , that same laugh he remembered .

" I'm good Rick. How are Martha and Alexis? How's the writing? I read your latest best seller… I would love to meet your muse! "

He grinned "What a perfect idea ! I was just on my way to the precinct right now . You have to come with me and meet everyone ! "

She smiled and nodded. They walked towards the precinct never noticing the man staring at them from across the street.


	2. chapter 2

AN: I'm hoping that the updated version is to everyone's liking. You can be constructive without being a dick. Just saying.

Chapter 2

21st precinct

Ryan and Esposito were getting coffee in the break room when Castle and Kat walked in . They heard Castle introducing someone to Kate .

"Kate I would like you to meet my oldest friend Katherin Bend. KitKat this is Detective Kate Beckett the best cop in the homicide division . "

Kat laughed " I haven't heard that name in years! " she turned towards Kate " it is so nice to meet you Detective. " The younger woman held out her hand to the detective.

"Please call me Kate . So you know Castle huh? "

The woman laughed again "Rick and I have been friends for 30 years. You could say I know him. " she winked and Castle turned red.

"Castle I've never seen you blush before! So she knows all the good stories I'm assuming ?" Kate was loving how Castle was squirming.

"Maybe this was a bad idea to introduce you two…" Rick ran his hand through his hair out of nervousness .

Ryan and Esposito heard a woman's voice and stuck their heads out of the break room to see the two women laughing while Castle looking scared.

"Hey look at him! Whoever this girl is must have done a number on him." Esposito laughed and nudged Ryan "Let's see who she is ."

Ryan just nodded. He recognized her face. Being a Richard Castle super fan he knew exactly who she was . He grabbed the copy of Castles first book out of his drawer and headed over to join the crowd.

"Detective Kevin Ryan , Detective Javier Esposito. May I introduce my oldest friend Katherine Bend . Kat these two gentlemen are two of the best people I know here at the 21st."

Kevin noticed how he kept his hand on the small of her back during the introductions. Maybe the stories were true about them.

"Hi. I'm Kevin. And I know exactly who you are." He smiled shaking her hand. Javie and Beckett looked at each other in confusion. Kevin opened the book he had in his hands and handed it to Katherin . "You are KB. The one Castle dedicated his first books to right? "

She took the book from his hands and fondly looked at the page in front of her. Then looked up at Castle silently asking permission to explain. He just nodded and sat down on the desk next to her. "Yes , I'm that KB. Ricky and I have known each other since we were children, before his name change , before he got famous. I watched him grow up, get married, have Alexis… we drifted apart... then literally ran into each other today in the street after 20 years, like it was fate." The group smiled at the woman when Becketts phone rang .

"Beckett. Okay got it." She hung up the phone "sorry to cut this short , but we caught a case. It was really nice to meet you Katherin. I look forward to hearing Castle stories soon!" she smiled and shook the woman's hand.

"Thank you Detective. We should get together soon and chat. " Kat could think of nothing more she would like better than spending time with Ricks new muse.

Rick stood and hugged her again. "Sorry I have to run off , please leave your number on the desk and I will call you tonight !." He leaned in kissed her cheek and whispered to her "You look amazing." He straightened and followed Beckett out the door. Kats heart jumped a bit , he always could make her feel special . She turned to the other two detectives and smiled at them . "It was so nice to meet both of you. Hopefully we can see each other soon. "

"Definitely need to hear Castle stories !" Javie exclaimed grinning. He gave a small wave and started towards the door "you coming Kev?"

Kevin was still watching Kat "uh, no. I have paperwork. " Javie just shrugged and walked off .

"Did you want to sit and wait for Castle to come back? My desk is right here… "he trailed off . He didn't know what to say to her, but he knew he had to say something. "Coffee?"

Kat smiled at him "that would be great thank you."

He showed her to his desk and disappeared into the break room, returning with a cup of coffee for her. "You look like you wanted to talk about something. If it's personal please just tell me to drop it…" Ryan was unexpectedly nervous around this woman. He felt a spark he hasn't felt in a very long time he looked at her. The mood immediately took a turn .

"Detective –"

"Please call me Kevin " he quickly corrected her.

Her face lightened a bit "Okay, Kevin, obviously you are well trained. I was trying to hide my anxiety. I did need to talk to someone. When I said it was fate that Rick and I ran into each other today I was being 100% honest. Someone is stalking me. I know that you deal with homicides so I understand if you can't help me , but I'm hoping you can point me in a right direction . "

The mood was no longer light. This woman was in trouble, and Kevin wanted to be the one to help her.


	3. chapter 3

A/N : Again, just reiterating it's been a 12 year hiatus for my writing so I am trying to find a good program for my phone that will flow better. Thanks !

Chapter 3

The explanation

She began her story slowly.

"It started a few weeks ago. Random notes in my mail, a card here and there… then I started receiving deliveries. "

Kevin nodded and flipped open his notepad waiting for her to continue.

"I got flowers at my work. Another bouquet at home. They came with the same note every time *I'm watching you* . I thought maybe at first it was a joke of some kind. My friends playing a trick on me. Then I started feeling like someone was following me. Today, on the street I swear someone was there….watching, waiting. I ran into Rick and figured what a perfect time to come meet his police friends. Maybe whoever was following me would back off. " she hung her head " I don't know why this is happening to me."

A tear fell down her cheek. Without thinking Kevin reached over and wiped it away. He grabbed her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"We will catch whoever is doing this, I promise. " a lofty goal considering they had nothing to go on, but he wanted so badly to help this girl.

She smiled warmly at him as their eyes locked. They heard voices coming down the hallway and realized the team was back. Katherin pulled her hand away and stood , Kevin followed.

"Thank you Kevin, you have no idea how much this means to me that you listened . " She gave him a kiss on the cheek as the team walked into the bull pen.

"Kat you are still here! I'm so glad you didn't leave. Now we can catch up . " Castle walked up beside her wrapping an arm around her waist.

She turned and looked up at him "Actually I would love that Rick. Is there somewhere we can talk here? " he gestured to an office across from Kate's desk and she walked in and he shut the door behind them.

"So what did we catch? " Ryan finally spoke up after the Castle and Katherin left the room.

Javier shared a glance with Kate , and she started to run down the case. "Female , 25 , name Kelly Barth. No prints. Victim was strangled to death. We found a camera with a memory card in her apartment. " she tossed the card to Ryan " run that see if we can find anything will you? He nodded and began his work.

In the office Kat began telling Castle what she had been going through for the last few weeks. The bull pen became eerily quiet when they heard a yell come from the office and Castle threw the door open. "KATE!" she jumped a bit.

"Geeze Castle I'm right here no need to yell. What's going on?" He ushered her into the room and closed the door.

Javier looked at Kevin "what was that about ?"

Kevin ignored him, staring at his computer . "Holy shit!" Kevin exclaimed as he jumped up and ran to the office. Throwing the door wide he exclaimed "You all need to see this!"


	4. chapter 4

A/N: nothing new as of now...short chapter!

Chapter 4

The catch

He felt bad interrupting, he could tell Katherin was explaining the situation to Kate as she did for him earlier… but this couldn't wait. All three occupants of the office glanced at each other and stood to follow Kevin back to his desk.

"What is it Ryan ? What did you find?"

"The memory card images were recovered. " he pointed to the picture on his computer "They are of you Katherin. "

Katherin grabbed Castles hand " I told you someone was following me !" She was pissed. Tired of feeling afraid . Instead of sobbing she turned to the detectives with fire in her eyes. "I'll do anything I can to help you. Tell me what to do. "

Castle felt his chest tighten at the sight of her face. She was in trouble , but not the victim. He squeezed her hand in silent support.

"Ryan print off all the pictures found on the memory card . Let Katherin go through them see if she can give us a timeline. "he nodded and started his task." Espo start canvasing the neighborhood. See if anyone remembers someone out of place. Castle take her back to your apartment. We will bring the photos by when they are ready for her . "

Everyone began their assigned tasks, and Castle lead Katherin out of the precinct.

Kate knew if this guy wasn't found soon they could end up with more bodies on their hands. The phone rang like a sign … "Beckett. Another ? OK where… " she hung up and gathered her coat. "Ryan, Espo we have another body. "


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: first off I am sorry about the incorrect precinct name. I just started re watching Castle and got it mixed up LOL I'll fix it from now on ! Thank you for the review ,follows and likes I really appreciate it! On to the next chapter !!

Chapter 5

The girls

Castles apartment

"Kat listen…" Castle turned to face her "I didn't tell mother anything about what's going on. I just told her I ran into you on the street, and we wanted to catch up." He turned the key in the lock but hesitated to open the door. "If you are uncomfortable in any way at any time let me know. You know how she gets…" he trailed off.

"Rick it will be fine. I need to be around you and your family right now. Something stable. A dose of Martha is exactly what my doctor would prescribe for me." she smiled up at him "Lead the way. "

Rick scoffed "Stable? You haven't been around mother lately. " he joked and opened the door. "Mother? Alexis ? " he announced letting them know they had arrived .

The two red haired women descended the staircase in unison .

"Katherin my darling it is so lovely to see you after all this time!" Martha enveloped Kat in a gentle hug, making the younger woman blink to fight back tears.

"Martha my god you don't age. I swear you look younger every time I see a picture of you."

Kat knew the actress had always worried about aging, what better way to start off their visit than to compliment her. "I saw you in your last show, snuck in to the back of the theatre." she told Martha was they broke apart "I was mesmerized. You were EVERYTHING!"

"Oh now… go on... " Martha and Kat laughed together "You look wonderful dear !"

Kat knew she was lying. She could feel how tired she was, the weight of what she had been going through had to show on her face. She glanced at the youngest Castle … Alexis was just three the last time Kat had set eyes on her.

"Alexis do you remember my childhood friend Kat?" Rick took the lead on the introductions "You were so young the last time she was around."

The young woman glanced at Kat, sizing her up. "No… I mean kind of… I remember a woman bringing me gifts…" she searched her memory . "The carousel in Central Park? We went there a lot."

Kat and Rick smiled at each other. "Yes that was me. It's so wonderful to see you again Alexis." She held out her hand for Alexis to shake and was shocked when the young woman pulled her into a tight hug.

"I can't believe dad found you after all these years!" Kat relaxed and hugged her back. They broke and smiled warmly at each other.

"As connected as your father is this was entirely the universe's plan." Kat explained "We literally ran into each other on the street today! It's perfect timing, I've been following his career and was thinking of tracking him down…" she looked back at Rick who appeared surprised .

"You were?"

"Yes -you know you meant the world to me. I felt like it was time." She blushed and looked away not being able to meet his gaze.

Martha and Alexis glanced at each other eyebrows raised.

"Why don't we leave you two to catch up?" Martha lead Alexis away back up the stairs.

"But I wanted to…" Alexis began to protest but Martha just raised a finger to her lips, then pointed up stairs.

"Let's leave them to talk darling. " The older woman could tell her son needed to get some things off his mind.

They moved upstairs as Rick and Kat sat down on the couch hand in hand.

12th precinct

Kate, Kevin and Javier stomped back into the precinct. Another woman found murdered, strangled, and no leads. Another camera found at the scene. Kevin immediately began to review the memory card.

"Dammit!" he mumbled to himself "more shots of Kat."

Javier swung his chair around to see the computer screen.

"Hey this one is from today. That's the same outfit she was wearing when she was here."

Kevin swore again under his breath and started printing out the images. He knew the faster he got her to review them, the faster they could possibly catch a lead.

Kate was at her desk wishing Castle was there to help them run scenarios. She knew him staying close to Kat was important but she would have given anything to hear one of his crazy stories right about now. She rubbed her temples and stared at their murder board, trying to will a connection to appear. First victim was a 25 year old woman named Kelly Barth, who worked as a bartender at a club down town. The latest victim was a 45 year old woman named Karoline Beeker, who was a secretary at a legal firm. As far as Kate could tell there was no connection between the two women… why were these women targeted ? And what did Castles old friend have to do with it?


	6. chapt 6

A/N: so just a little note.. I've been to NYC (twice but it was over 20 years ago) so I'm not up on all the details of streets and such. I'm gonna be making up addresses and apartments for this story.

Chapter 6

A clue

Ryan found himself in front of castles door , photos under his arm , but hesitating to knocm. He runs his hand through his hair, frustrated with their lack of answers. Instead they just have more questions. He took a deep breath and knocked.

Castle and Kat were sitting on the couch deep in conversation when they heard the knock at the door. Castle squeezed Kats hand and rose.

"Come in Kevin. Any leads yet?" Castle ushered the detective inside.

"Unfortunately, no. We were hoping Kat could take a look at the pictures, and see if she recognizes anything or knew when they were taken. There's no time stamps on these for some reason."

"Of course." he gestured to the couch. "I'll be in my office . Let me know of you need anything. " he gave Kat a kiss on the cheek and disappeared into the other room.

Kevin looked dejected when he sat next to Kat on the couch. He opened his mouth to apologize for their lack of progress and stopped when he felt her hand on his knee. His heart quickened as he glanced next to him and their eyes locked.

"Detective Ryan –"

"Kevin. You promised to call me Kevin." He reminded her with a small smile.

She nodded and continued . "Kevin. I can tell you're angry with yourself. Please don't be. I know you are doing everything possible to figure this out, and I want to help on whatever way I can." She paused before saying "I'm ready to look at the photos."

He grabbed her hand and squeezed, running his thumb over her knuckles. "I'm sorry. This might be difficult but anything you can do to help would be great." He held out the folder to her.

Kat gave him a smile and took the folder from his hand , taking a deep breath before opening it and reviewing it's contents.

Kevin watched her intently, fascinated at her face, smiling at the way she bit her lips when she was concentrating. Her eyes narrowed, and handed him one of the shots.

"This is from two weeks ago, in front of my apartment building."

He took the picture from her outstretched fingers and replied "You know that for sure? " he began writing in his notepad. "Where is your apartment ? "

"Yes. It's in Queens. 25 Barley street apartment 2D. I can tell from the coat I'm wearing in the picture. I had a date that night , I remember I wore it specifically for that."

Kevin gritted his teeth and continued to write. He had no right to be jealous, he barely knew this woman. Yet he was. He kept his head down , jotting notes as she checked the other photos. Nothing jumped out at her until she got to the last one in the stack. She gasped loudly and grabbed Kevin's arm. He stopped writing to look at her.

"What? What's wrong ?"

"This one ! It's from earlier today! That man in front of me? That's Rick! This is from when we ran into each other!" her eyes welled with tears. She blinked hard, fighting the urge to start sobbing.

Castle heard her exclamation and poked his head out of his office. "Is everything ok?" he walked towards his friend and stopped in his tracks when she held up the picture in front of him.

"This is of us Rick, from today! You and your family might be in danger and its all my fault !"

12th precinct

3 bodies. Still np pattern to be found. Kate and Javier poured over the profiles of all three victims with a fine tooth comb. They read until their eyes hurt, then read some more. Nothing was jumping at them. Kate's phone rang .

"Beckett. Hey Ryan. How's the photo review going? Really ?? Is she sure? Okay got it!" she hung up feeling hopeful for the first time since the ordeal began. "Esposito we have a lead. Kat recognized one of the photos as being from earlier today when she met up with Castle. Let's get a canvas going. See if there are any surveillance cameras on that side of the street. Maybe they caught our perp!"

Esposito jumped up and ran off to his assigned task. Could this actually get them somewhere ?


	7. chapter 7

A/N : 2 Chapters in one night !! thank you for the reviews likes and follows !! Seriously it makes me super happy to see people enjoying this story . To the guest reviewer for chapt 6 – good catch (super obvious right? ) stay tuned !

Chapter 7

Castles apartment

Kat was frantic. "Rick what if he comes after you? Martha, Alexis you all could be in danger because of me ! " the tears she had been trying so hard to keep at bay spilled out her eyes and rolled down her cheeks . "I should have never come here…" she held her head in her hands.

Kevin knew he should leave them alone , so he started towards the kitchen while Castle took his spot on the couch.

"KitKat, I work with the police every day , I'm always in danger. Truthfully if you hadn't ran into me, who knows how long this mad man would be roaming the streets. This is a good thing, I promise you. Besides you can't see my face in this picture. Maybe he didn't see it either. Everything will be fine. " he was desperate for her to calm down. Richard Castle was a strong man , but he never could handle woman in pain. He put his arm around her and held her close.

Kat sniffed, getting her breathing back under control. Rick always had a comforting aura. Even when they were young he was her go to guy…her knight in shining armor.

 _Flashback_ _12 year old Katherin Elaine Bend was sitting on her apartment front stoop reading , when a group of kids from school walked by and started hurling insults at her._ _"Look it's Kat, loner loser at it again." They grabbed her book and started tossing it back and forth to each other, playing keep away with it._ _"Hey give that back! My grandma bought that for me…" she trailed off , knowing she wasn't helping her cause at all. They just kept laughing at her, and throwing the book around until a loud deep voice startled them all._ _"If you don't hand her back that book , there will be hell to pay. "_ _"Sorry Kat!" one yelled as they ran off in different directions , but not before tossing the book at her feet._ _She went to retrieve the precious present when an unfamiliar hand reached down to pick it up and handed it to her. "Hi. My name is Richard Rogers. I just moved here with my mom. I think we might be neighbors ?" she glanced into his blue eyes and was done for._ _Years went by, and he was her constant. Her north star. He went away to multiple private schools, but always found his way back to her, getting kicked out of one after another. She loved him the moment he stood up for her, and never stopped._ _End flashback_

Kat knew she needed to pull herself together. This situation could be fixed. It needed to be, and she needed to help. There were women getting killed, and she couldn't let that continue. She wiped her eyes and gave Rick a kiss on the cheek before rising and moving to the kitchen to stand with Detective Ryan.

"Detect-- Kevin, I need to do something. I want to nail this guy. What do I do?"

"Actually , I was wondering about your date…" he began, not exactly sure how to proceed.

"My date? What about it?"

"um… do you have a boyfriend?" the heat started to rise in his cheeks .

"Oh, no. Actually it was a first date."

Rick watched the two conversing in his kitchen and smiled. "Me thinks someone has a crush " he said quietly to himself. He hadn't seen Kevin like this in awhile. He over heard Kat talking about the date and rose to join them.

"What's this about a first date?" he could tell Kevin wanted to get more details but didn't know how, so he went ahead and asked.

"Oh, well I signed up for this dating site … Cupids Arrow. I know Rick, I can see you rolling your eyes. Those sites are stupid, I get it."

Rick just laughed inwardly at his friend knowing him so well.

"ANYWAY…I signed up about a month ago? I got a message almost instantly. The guy seemed really nice , we talked back and forth for a week or so… then set up the date. I was waiting on a cab in front of my building in that picture. "

"And the date… how did it go?" Kevin had already started making notes.

"It was okay , I suppose. I got this weird vibe from the guy, so I didn't message him anymore. The next day after the date I started getting random messages , anonymous ones… I didn't go back on that site after that. " she got a far away look in her eyes, thinking about the frequency and content of the messages. "I can give you my log in information if you need it?"

Kevin nodded "That would be great. This might be nothing , or it might be the break we needed. I'm going to run back to the station and start working on it right now." He handed her his notepad.

"You really think this could be related? I know I didn't like the guy but I seriously doubt he would do something like this " she took Kevin's pen and wrote down the site information as well as her log in and password.

Castle spoke up "Since working along side the defectives at the 12th I've learned people do very strange things for no real reason."

Kevin nodded in agreement . "This is actually a really great lead. Thank you. I'll call soon." And he headed out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N : I want to thank the reader that sent me an amazing PM about my story. I hope these next chapters make you happy.

Chapter 8

Love tale

Kat was exhausted, so Rick offered her his bed for a nap. She gladly agreed and was out within seconds of her head hitting the pillow. He kissed her forehead and wandered back out to the couch to think.

It had been 20 years since he laid eyes on her. The last time they spoke it wasn't pretty. A screaming match, hurt feelings and wounded pride was all that they had to show for it…and it was all his fault.

 _Flashback_ _"Ricky do you seriously think that little of me?? I love you for you not because you are a famous writer now! What even made you think something like that??" Kats face was red . She was beyond angry. She knew what his answer would be before he even mentioned the name._ _"Gina said…" he couldn't finish the sentence._ _"Gina? Really?? So you listen to her now ? How long have you known me? I could care less if you are a billionaire or homeless in the streets. She is jealous and that's all there is to it."_ _"Kat I'm sorry. You're right…"_ _"No, you know what? You want Gina, you got her. I'm done Richard." She only used his given name when she was angry, so he knew she was serious. She turned on her heel and walked away from him, from their friendship… and he did nothing to stop her._ _End flashback_

This girl had been everything to him, the moment he helped her get her book back from those bullies when she was 12… they grew up as neighbors, always spending time together. Martha would give her singing lessons, those days Rick loved to stay home and listen. He was 5 years older than her, but he didn't care. The second he caught her gaze , he felt those blue grey eyes could see all the way to his soul. She never made fun of him for getting kicked out of all the prep schools he went to. Not once did she call his writing mediocre… and now to find out even after their fight she still kept tabs on him. His heart hurt thinking about how much pain he caused her and vowed not to again. He needed to tell her about Beckett. How much he cared for the detective , she wasn't just a muse. He would always love Kat. There was so much history between them. She had been there when his mom was out late at auditions. He had been there when her grandma passed away. But now what he felt was a deep love for his dear friend. Not burning attraction like when they were younger …. Just like family. She would always be the sister he never had. He felt obligated to watch out and take care of her. Castle pinched the bridge of his nose warding off a headache. His mind drifted to Kevin, and the way he looked at Kat. He recognized that look… It's how Rick himself looked at Kate for the past umpteen years. He made a mental note to talk to his friend when this killer is caught.

12th precinct

Kate sat at her desk, deep in thought as well. This woman, Castles friend from so many years ago… what did her being here mean ? No they hadn't acted on the obvious mutual attraction they had for each other, but now that Kat was back did that mean it was off the table completely? Kate's head hurt. She pushed back her chair and went to the break room to get coffee.

Kevin came sprinting in to the bull pen and immediately sat at his desk pulling up the website address and log on information Kat gave him. While it was loading he sat back and closed his eyes. He remembered the electricity when she touched him… then shook the thoughts from his head. This was Castles friend, his first love. There was no way he has a shot with her. Castle is a big time famous author, rich, and knows her history, what she likes and dislikes… why would she even look twice at him. He opened his eyes to see Javi staring at him. "hey, sup?"

Javi cocked his head at him "I don't know bro… sup with you? Daydreaming? " he sat down next to Ryan at the desk. "what's that? " he asked pointing to the computer screen.

"Oh! Another possible lead ! " Ryan exclaimed. "Kat signed up for a dating site called Cupids Arrow. She said one of the pictures was from the night of her first , and only coincidentally , date with someone from the site. We need to check the other women's backgrounds, see if they were with anyone. This could be how the killer linked them all."

Kate came up behind them while they were talking . "Got something Ryan?"

"Yeah- possible dating site link. Checking the victims backgrounds to see if they were on there too."

"Finally, something concrete . Espo you get the footage from the street this afternoon?"

"Tech's going through it now to see if they see anyone with a camera." Javis phone rang. "Esposito. Yeah? Okay send it up". He hung up "that was tech. They found something on the footage."

"Bingo!" Kevin exclaimed . The other two detectives look hopeful. "All three victims were members of the same site as Kat. I'll see if we can get a warrant for the log in information and members names from the site administrator."

Castles apartment

No longer asleep, Kat looked up at the ceiling of Castles bedroom and imagined a happier time …

 _Flashback_ _College – All the girls were envious of her. Here she had this amazing boyfriend, older, handsome… he was a writer and was really good at it. His smile made her heart leap every time she saw it. She came out of her class to see Rick leaning up against a tree waiting for her. She raced over to him and he wrapped his arms around her before giving her a sweet kiss on the lips._ _"how was class KitKat? Learn anything useful?" Rick beamed down at his girlfriend. He knew this class's was her favorite. He has listened for weeks as she talked about the professor, and how interesting the subject matter was._ _"Ricky it was so amazing! We learned all about past series killers today… what makes them tick. You know, you should really be a crime novelist. I think you would like it! Our next assignment is to plan the perfect murder how great is that??" Kat was planning on going into criminal justice , so the class , while an elective still helped her get inside the mind of a criminal. It was fascinating to see her face light up when she talked about something she was passionate about. Rick knew he wanted to marry this girl someday, but it hit him in that moment how perfect she was for him._ _End flashback_

Kat sighed. Those were better times… She wished they could go back there again. Before Meredith , Gina , and their blow up. No use looking backwards… she knew he was in love with Detective Kate Beckett the moment she saw them together. Maybe even before, it was pretty apparent in his Nikki Heat novels that there was something between the two. She was happy for her friend, even a little jealous . They needed to have a heart to heart after this whole mess was done. Kat knew he deserved an explanation on the real reason she turned and walked away from him that day. She couldn't say it 20 years ago, the pain was too raw. Now time had healed her broken heart, and she needed to talk to her friend. She heard movement in the kitchen so she got up and headed that way.


	9. chapter 9

A/N : I really hope you liked the last chapter! I am going to try and get a little deeper into the characters in upcoming chapters . I don't say this enough but Castle was one of my all time favorite shows (why I'm rewatching it again) but I don't own any of those characters!

Chapter 9

The past comes back…

Kat made her way into the kitchen to check on Castle. "Hey, thanks for the use of your bed. I feel 20 times better…"

He grinned and bowed "Anything for you m'lady. I have made you the most amazing thing you'll ever taste… you are hungry right?"

Her stomach growled loudly as if on cue, and they both smiled.

"Seems that way. What in the world is this?" she poked at the object on her plate, eyeing it suspiciously.

"That my dear is my world famous smorelette! It's the best. "

She laughed out loud for the first time in what seemed like ages. "You put chocolate and marshmallows inside an omelette? No wonder Alexis is so tiny, how's she supposed to gain weight when you cook her this stuff ??" she pushed the plate back towards him "I'll pass thanks."

Castle feigned hurt " Kit Kat you have to try it… I made it just for you!" he stuck his lip out in a pout, and gave her the puppy dog eyes.

Kat just rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "Ok Ricky. I'll try your weird creation…" she slowly lifted the fork to her mouth , taking the smallest bite and wrinkling her nose for a second before looking at him with wide eyes . "Oh my gosh Rick this is actually good! How ?? This shouldn't work!!" she realized she was starving and quickly devoured the entire thing.

21st precinct

The two older detectives were furiously pouring over video tape of the street where Kat and Castle had met, while Kevin was pulling the dating site information. A man named John Smith (convenient) had messaged all four ladies within the last month and set up dates with them. Kevin knew this was what they were waiting on. He reviewed the profile to see if there was anything that identified the real name of their perp. John Smith really?? Kevin ran his hand through his hair. No pictures of the guy on his page, a generic profile message. He needed a break. Looking at his watch he realized how late it had gotten, so he decided to check on his partners progress.

Javi was frustrated. "How are there NO shots of this creep?? It's like he-"

"is hiding ? " Ryan completed his partners sentence. "I found the guy on the dating site. He's going by -get this – John Smith. Couldn't be more generic if he tried. "

Beckett made the call. "Guys it's late. Let's pick it up first thing in the morning. Maybe tech can pull something… ANYTHING… from this video. In the meantime I'm ordering us all to go to Remys. We need food. " she made a mental note to call Castle as soon as the boys were out of listening range to check on him.

"Thanks boss but I'm gonna pass. I'll see you tomorrow " Ryan headed towards the door when Esposito called out to him to wait up.

"DUDE-" Esposito started in on him as they rode the elevator down "You got it bad for this girl don't you?? Explain this to me. She's Castles flame , what part of that ends up going well for you?"

Kevin couldn't disagree with him. But he also couldn't get this girl out of his head. "Bro I don't know. I don't think they're like that… it didn't seem like it when I was there earlier. Just old friends. And besides why would Castle care? You know him and Beckett are…"

"NO. DO NOT finish that thought. That's weird. I'm going to grab a drink , you coming?" Esposito and Ryan had been partners for years. He was there for Ryan when his marriage ended, and Ryan was there for him when he and Lanie had broken up. He wanted to be there for him again, he just didn't know how. He could see his friend was taking this case personally…

Kate decided to grab food to go and head back to her place. She wanted badly to call Castle and do their ritual , banter back and forth… But she felt like she was imposing. This girl, she knew things about Castle… things Kate wanted to know. She concluded that it was too late to think about it anymore tonight, and ate her burger in the silence of her own apartment.

Castles apartment

After their food was gone, Rick led Kat back to the couch.

"We need to talk about something " Rick started .

"I need to talk to you about something " Kat blurted out. They laughed again .

"Ladies first . " Rick conceded, making a small bow towards Kat.

She smiled and took a deep breath. "Rick we need to talk about how we left things. It's been 20 years. I need you to understand why I was so angry. " he started to cut her off but she shook her head and continued . "Gina was a bitch. I know you married her and all, but she was horrible. She basically told me I wasn't needed. That I had no rights to you anymore, not as a friend , and definitely not as anything more than that. When you mentioned her name that day… it set me off. She made up that story of me being a gold digging ex to cause distance between us. And it worked " she smiled sadly. " I would NEVER want anything to do with your book sales. I just wanted you to be happy. " she learned back relieved to get it all off her chest.

Castle was in shock. Gina could be difficult to say the least but he never dreamed she would have gone that far. To poison his friend ship with someone he held so dear… This wasn't something he would let her forget…

"God Kat, I am so sorry. I'm livid at Gina, I can't believe she did this! I… don't have words. Please, can you forgive me for being so stupid??" he held his head in shame.

Kat just patted his arm "I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad after all these years Rick. I just want you to understand why I left… why I stayed away. Even after Gina and you were through, I read the papers… Mr. Playboy, Mr. bachelor number 9,featured regularly on page 6...I figured you were in a different place in your life, you didn't need me anymore. It made me sad, but I got through it. And look at us now! Hopefully we can stay in each others lives this time ?" she cupped his face and looked into his eyes. "Rick I always loved you. Nothing will ever stop that. And I know you have this deep need to protect me, but you can let me go. I promise , I won't break. I'll be okay, even with what's going in right now. " she gave him a kiss on the cheek and stared into his eyes. "Now, tell me about Kate."

He looked like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar "What? Kate? What do you mean ?? "

Kat giggled "Oh come on Ricky. I've seen you around enough women to know when you found THE ONE. And she's it for you isn't she?"

Rick started to beam "Yes, she is. We haven't acted on it, no one at work knows but… I love her Kat. I really do. I can't imagine myself without her being there, next to me. My partner … I just don't know how to show it. "

"Richard Alexander Rogers you are the most romantic man I have ever known . Don't you dare say that!! You will think of some amazing way to show her how you feel , I know it. Now that's settled, I need your advice on something ."

Rick just shook his head. His friend was such a mystery to him at times. They just had a heart to heart… she bared her soul to him and just like that she moved on to another subject. He laughed inwardly at how much she reminded him of himself. A big kid at heart. "Yes dear, what can I help you with?"

"Detective Ryan…what can you tell me about him. "


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: thank you all for the reviews and messages !!! Seriously they breathe life into me and this story!

Chapter 10

Memories

Kevin and Javier had found themselves at a bar, drinking in silence . Kevin thought back to another day not to far in the past where his partner had found him in the exact same bar.

 _Flashback_ _"ANOTHER!" Kevin yelled at the bartender, slamming his glass down. He wanted to forget everything that had happened to him over the past few months. Jenny , her leaving him. Just because he liked his job? Being a cop was everything he had ever wanted , and she expected him to give it up just like that? No way. His under cover days were behind him, but that didn't mean his passion for the job was gone. She couldn't understand his need to put himself in danger , even when/if it meant saving people . The divorce papers coming to him at the precinct, that was the icing on the proverbial cake that was Kevin Ryan's life. "Hey! I said another!!" He was angry, at himself , at Jenny, at the situation… he knew drinking wouldn't make it go away completely, but still, he needed that relief even for just a little while._ _"Hey partner – maybe you should slow down a bit?" Javier Esposito knew his friend was hurting, but didn't want him showing up to work with a massive hangover. The captain would have Ryan's hide. "Bro let me drive you home. You have had enough. " Esposito grabbed the bartenders attention and handed him his credit card to close out the tab._ _"No Javi I don't want to leave! I want to drink. I want to forget her. Please –" he sounded so sad Javi almost agreed. But he knew better. When Kevin drank he didn't just drink a little. There was no halfway with the Irishman. This was going to be messy if he didn't take control of the situation._ _"I get it man. Let's go to my place. You can keep drinking there . We'll play Madden. Or COD you can kick some 12 year olds ass. How's that sound?" Javi was praying that Kevin wouldn't put up a fight, and thankfully he didn't. He just nodded and slid off the stool, swaying next to Javi while he signed the credit card slip. They walked out to the car and he helped Kevin into the cruiser , buckling his seat_ _belt_ _for him._ _"I miss her " Kevin whispered so quietly Javi almost missed it._ _"I know bro. This is going to be rough, but you'll get through it. I'll be here, Beckett will too. We care about you. WHATEVER you need , we are here."_ _His partner looked relieved , as they drove off into the night._ _End flashback_

"Remember when you had to drag me outta here ? Boy that was fun." Kevin grimaced at the thought. They had been through a lot since then, the divorce was now final and Kevin had began healing. He hadn't drank again like that since, and tonight would not be the exception. One drink was all he planned on, then home.

"Bro. I'm gonna need you to explain to me what you are planning. I can't be your back up if I don't know the play." Esposito took a pull from his beer bottle and glanced at the man sitting next to him. "You want me to get Castle away so you can talk to her or what?" Always the friend, always willing to do whatever he could for his partner , Javier just wanted to know where it was going.

"I want to solve this case. These victims, they just keep piling up. She's blaming herself, and she shouldn't. I don't know what it is about her but I cant stand seeing her sad. It breaks my heart. I haven't felt this way since … " he trailed off lost in thought.

"Since Jenny left, I know dude. And it's cool. I wanna solve it too but we don't have a huge amount to go on. I know you always wanna be the protector, but maybe this time we leave it to Castle. I mean he is her friend… if anyone is gonna be the one she turns to it'll be him. Not to rain on your parade or anything…" Javier saw the dejected look in his partners eyes , and cursed under his breath. "Okay. Let's look at it again with fresh eyes in the morning , how about that? "

Ryan nodded and swallowed the last bit of beer in his bottle. "I'm calling it a night. I'll see you in the morning partner. Thanks for keeping me company . " they fist bumped and Ryan walked out the front door.

Esposito finished his beer and followed not to long after . Going to his car he kept thinking about his best friend, and the hell he had gone through over the last months. If this girl meant that much to him, then Javi was going to do everything he could to get them together. Kevin deserved to be happy. He knew he needed to call Castle and get the lowdown on his relationship with this girl. His partner couldn't take another heartbreak. He vowed to talk to Castle first thing in the morning.

Across town

John Smith, as he decided to go by, was on another stakeout. His favorite subject was in a corner apartment of some rich author , and he was pissed. How could she be ignoring him like this? After all the notes, the presents… all the bodies he left her? He was getting rid of all the others, so there would be only one K.B left that mattered. Didn't she know he was the only man that would ever really love her? He found the apartment number online, and got his latest delivery ready . He was taking a chance going himself but he didn't trust anyone else. He got out of the van and started towards the front entrance , when he noticed the cop car pull up. A woman stepped out, beautiful brown hair, and went into the building. He decided to follow her , with the flowers as his cover , to see where she was headed.

"Hello Detective Beckett how are you this evening?" the doorman knew her. She must have visited here before… he continued to close in.

"I'm good Edmundo. And I told you to call me Kate . How is your family doing? " the two continued their chatting not paying him any mind.

"Sorry sir where did you need to go?" the doorman finally acknowledged he was standing there.

"Apartment 404, Richard Castle. " he tried not to sound anxious in any way , giving away his secret of why he was there.

"Oh that's where I'm going. I can take them for you." The detective held out her hands to take the case of flowers from him. Dammit, this wasn't how it was supposed to go! He wanted to see her with his own eyes, see how she was doing. The detective was looking at him with a puzzled look on her face so he made his decision.

"Thank you so much!" He handed the flowers off , spun around and walked back to his van. He couldn't believe the universe sent him another KB. This one was a cop! That would take some planning... he checked his laptop, the camera was functioning . He grinned and drove off so he could watch her in the comfort of his own apartment.


	11. chapter 11

A/N: I don't know if I like it or not… I'm having some trouble deciding where to go with this. So if you hate the chapter just think of it as a little divergent …. I'll get on track I promise!

Chapter 11

Together we stand

Kate found it odd that the delivery man basically shoved the flowers into her hands and bolted, but she just shrugged off as he was in a hurry. She held the vase in her hands , and smelled the abundant roses that were piled into it. They were beautiful, not like any flowers she has ever seen. Red roses with a hint of yellow and orange on the tips… they were gorgeous. The vase had a big red ribbon tied around it , and a card stuck in the middle of all the blooms. She found herself in front of Castles door, unable to knock due to her hands being full. She kicked the door with her toe hoping someone would hear her.

Hearing a thump at the door Castle rose to check and see who was there. "Its someone with flowers " he opened the door "Hello?"

"Hey Castle it's me . Can I come in?" a face peered around the massive bouquet and smiled at them.

"Kate ! What are you doing here so late? And why do you have flowers ?" Castle ushered her in and took the vase from her to set on the counter top.

"Sorry to barge in. The flowers were being delivered downstairs so I told the delivery guy I would be happy to take them up. I thought I would stop by and give an update on what we have found out so far. And Castle, I kind of need to talk to you about something " she said in a quieter tone.

Kat knew what that meant… "You guys talk, I need to get some air. I'll be back in a little bit. " she grabbed her coat and was out the door before either of them could argue with her. She got downstairs and decided she needed to just walk. Lost in her own thoughts she didn't even see the car pull up next to her, or the man get out and start to follow her. When she felt the hand on her arm was when she finally realized someone was saying her name. "Kevin! I'm so sorry I didn't see or hear you. What are you doing here?"

"Following you." Laughing he explained "I was coming to talk to you and Castle when I saw you walking . I yelled but you were in a zone. Where are you headed ? "

She smiled "I needed some air. Kate came over to talk to Rick and I kind of felt like a third wheel. Figured they needed to sort some stuff out … is that a park ? " she pointed to the equipment across the street. "Come swing with me?" She didn't give him a chance to say no, grabbing his hand and leading him to the swings . "I haven't been on a set of swings in ages…." She sat on one , kicking her feet slightly to start her momentum. Kevin sat in the one next to her and did the same thing. They swung in silence for a few minutes, taking in the crystal clear sky and the sparkling stars… until Kevin stopped and looked at her.

"Hey Kat, can I ask you something?" he ran his hand through his hair, like he did when he was nervous.

"Anything detective. What can I do for you?" she slowed down her swinging to look back at him.

"well, I was wondering… What's the deal with you and Castle? And if it's too personal just tell me to leave you alone…in fact , never mind I shouldn't have asked …" he looked down at the ground, kicking the dirt with the tip of his shoe… why did he ask her that?? That wasn't how he wanted to approach this subject. Dang it if she didn't make him all jittery, but in a good way.

Kat just giggled and reached over to lay her hand on Kevin's arm. "That's a story for another day. I'll just tell you this – I love the man. I have for a long time… and I am happy to know he's found his soulmate. "

Kevin did a double take "Soulmate? Who??"

"Really detective? I thought you were better than that." She was teasing him… the heat rose in his face. "Detective Beckett of course. He loves her. I think he's finally met his match after all these years. I can't wait to see how happy he is. I can already tell she's a great influence on him. It'll be as nice change from Meredith, and especially Gina. " her nose scrunched up at the name.

"I take it you two don't get along ? "

"Gina and myself? Ha! No not even a little bit." Kat made a noise of disgust. "But tell me detective, why were you asking about me and Rick?

"Well, I…" Kevin took a deep breath and let it out. "I would really like to take you out. If that would be okay with you." He looked down at his hands praying she said yes.

"Detective Ryan I would be honored. Thank you ." Kat felt safe with this man, and she didn't want that feeling to go away. "So do you like coffee? I need caffeine, and I have a feeling Kate and Rick will be busy for awhile." She got up off the swing and stood in front of Kevin, smiling at him, she held out her hand.

He grinned back, taking it and stood up. "That sounds great. I know a place right around the corner. " The two of them walked side by side down the street.

 _Flashback_ _Kat sat at a table, nervous for her date. She felt out of place in this fancy Greek restaurant, but this was where her date suggested… now if he would just show up! She checked her watch again, thinking maybe she should just forget the whole thing._ _"Why does this always happen to me? What's wrong with me " she wondered to herself, when a man approached her._ _""Katherin? I'm John, so sorry to have kept you waiting! I was busy at work and couldn't get away. " he took her hand and shook it gently. "Please forgive me". He handed her one red flower, but not just any plain rose. This one looked like a sunburst, beautiful and vibrant ._ _Kat smiled brightly at the flower, and then at the man handing it to her._ _"Thank you it's gorgeous!"._ _He was pleasant enough, they chatted about their lives and jobs. But Kat got the eerie sense that someone was watching them the entire time. She tried to check around the restaurant several times during dinner, but never saw anyone out of place. She decided to just put the feeling out of her mind, and try to enjoy the dinner._ _In another section of the restaurant, a man sat alone at a table. He kept stealing glances towards Kat and John, grinning like he had just heard a joke… but this wasn't a joke at all. He pulled out his phone and shot off a quick text : Congrats , you are doing well.  He placed the phone back in his pocket and took a sip of wine, thinking about how much more fun he was going to have with this one._ _End flashback_

Across town

Why was she not on his screen?? Instead there was the detective, and the writer… they appeared to be having a deep conversation. John realized she must have slipped out before he started watching … now all he could do was wait for her to come back. Hopefully that would be soon, or he would have to go find another KB to keep him entertained .


	12. chapter 12

A/N: Thank you to my reviewers!! Please keep it up! And if you don't like the direction somethings headed I am SUPER open to suggestions trust me(looking at you 12precinct42344!!) I have to say I (kind of/majorly ) have a crush on Seamus Dever, AND his character on the show, which is why I'm heading in this direction .. Hopefully you enjoy it! Also I corrected the spelling of Ricks actual last name in this chapter :) Thanks!!

Chapter 12

It was extremely late by the time Kevin walked Kat back to Castles loft, but the coffee shop had kicked the pair out, stating "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here ". They had gotten sidetracked with conversation … Kat told Kevin a few stories about Rick when he was younger, which he was very excited to share with his partner, and Kevin had told her about his divorce. He didn't think he would be so open with this girl he had just met, but that was the thing … It didn't feel like that to him. She was easy to talk to , and a great listener . She didn't give advice, or point out where he could have approved. She didn't even bat an eye when he told her about the night Javi had to help him to bed after he had drank too much. She just held his hand and let him talk.

They stopped at the front door. Kevin looked at his watch "I didn't realize we had talked this long…" he was silently hoping Castle had gone to bed so he could sit and talk with her a even longer. She smiled at him, and opened the door to hear "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" shouted at her across the room.

She jumped and held her chest "Geeze Rick give me a heart attack why don't you?? I went for a walk and ran into someone –" moving to the side to show Kevin standing behind her, who gave a small wave.

"Hey Castle. Sorry I didn't mean to keep her out so late. We were having coffee and talking…" why he felt the need to explain where they had been to Castle was beyond him. They were both adults…and Castle wasn't her dad (how weird would that be?)

Kat turned to Kevin "Thank you detective. I had a wonderful night. I can't wait to do it again." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, making Kevin turned immediately red in the face.

"My pleasure. I'll see you tomorrow, or… later today I guess?" he smiled and waved again to Castle, walking away.

Kat shut the door and leaned against it, grinning from ear to ear. She skipped (yes skipped) over to where Rick was sitting on the couch, and flopped down next to him. "Don't be a grump Ricky. I knew you and Kate needed some alone time. I really had the intent of just walking around the neighborhood when Kevin found me outside. We just got to talking and the night got away from us. .. you aren't mad at me are you?" she looked at him concerned.

He sighed. He had to remember she really wasn't under his care. She wasn't the 12 year old he had protected from bullies all those years ago. Castle glanced at her and smiled warmly. "No sweetheart I'm not mad at you. I just got worried was all. I tried calling you didn't answer. I figured you wanted to give Beckett and myself some time alone, which by the way went beautifully…" he couldn't help but grin as well. "Thank you for that. We told each other how we felt, and have decided to try and make a relationship work. But it's under wraps for now. Becketts afraid the captain would use it as an excuse to get rid of me… And I'm having too much fun playing detective with … well.. the detective."

Kat laughed "I can tell. And I'm so glad things worked out!! I knew the moment I laid eyes on her she would be good for you Rick. I am so happy for you!" she reached over and gave her old friend a big squeeze. "I am really sorry for not answering . Kevin and I were talking about something really personal, I didn't want to interrupt him. "

"He told you about the divorce ? " Castle was shocked – Kevin hadn't really talked to anyone about Jenny (besides Javier), and what happened between the two of them, so it surprised him to hear he talked to a complete stranger (for the most part ) about it.

Kat nodded. "And other things. But the biggest part of our conversation was about his ex wife. Normally that would seem like a downer , but on the contrary Rick I really like him. He's sweet, and comforting… I feel safe around him. I haven't felt that way since … well… you." She looked down at her hands remembering the last time he had come to her rescue.

 _Flashback_

 _Kat felt light headed… she knew immediately something was wrong. She tried to get up from the bed, but couldn't move. It was like a weight was laying on top of her. She tried to say something, anything, but no sounds came out of her mouth. She attempted to focus on her surroundings , but everything was a blur. She could hear people talking outside the room… Rick? She was sure it was his voice… again she tried to call out to him, but she was so tired. She decided to close her eyes for just a second…_ _"Where is she? I saw some creep dragging her up the stairs. I want to know where my girlfriend is right now!" 25 year old Rick Rodgers was not impressed with the fraternity he was standing in, nor with most of its inhabitants . He knew Kat had come to this party as a favor to her roommate , but he was concerned . She had begged him to take the night off, enjoy writing a few chapters of the book he was working on… he had done just that until he realized the time and that she hadn't called him to let him know she was back at her dorm. So he showed up , saw her completely inebriated and being "escorted " up the stairs by some long haired surfer looking frat member. Now he wanted answers, and his girlfriend._ _The guy (said surfer dude/creep) standing at the bedroom door just shrugged "Dude, I don't know what you're talking about. If your girlfriend is here, maybe she doesn't wanna be your girlfriend anymore?" the guy smirked and elbowed the preppy guy standing next to him._ _"Listen, DUDE. Get out of my way, before you regret it." Rick had done his fair share of fighting when he was younger, and wasn't afraid to throw a few punches , especially if it meant knocking the smirks off these guys faces._ _The two men held up their hands, and stepped to the side allowing Rick to enter the room. His fists balled up as he rushed over to the bed. "Kat ? Honey ? Are you ok?? Kat?" he laid a hand on her arm, shaking her gently._ _She raised her head and opened her eyes- those beautiful blue grey eyes he loved so much. "Rick?" she whispered "I don't feel well…" he scooped her up off the bed and she wrapped her arms around his neck._ _"Don't let go sweetheart. I'll get you out of here."_ _End flashback_ Rick shook the thoughts from his head and grabbed her hands , holding them gently in his. "Kat , I know things have been strained between us. We haven't spoken a word in 20 years , but that doesn't mean I stopped caring about you. We were best friends… first loves… I will ALWAYS love you. From now until –"

"Forever." She finished the sentence.

He nodded and continued "I want you to be happy. I want the team to solve this case, and I want you to be safe. Then maybe we can go back normal, whatever that will be for us ."

"Of course. Rick I wish there was some way to repay you for all you've done for me over the years –"

He cut her off. "If it hadn't been for you, I would have never started writing . So I owe you, as does the nation. Gina was wrong, Kat I should have paid you royalties years ago. Please let me make it up to you, even the slightest bit. I know you have your own apartment , but I would feel immensely better if you stayed here."

Kat nodded "I am tired. I'll be glad to stay here Rick, thank you for the offer. Now , will you rescue me again by lending me some clothes to wear?"

He gathered together an old t-shirt and pajama pants , both way too big for her, and let her get settled while he sat back on the couch. He heard her clear her throat so he glanced up to find her standing in his doorway, in nothing but the shirt. " Sorry the bottoms wouldn't stay up, so I just decided to forget them" She giggled and Castle laughed .

"Understandable. You take my room. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Nonsense! I won't jump you in our sleep Rick I promise. Come lay with me." He shrugged and nodded in agreement. They laid down, and Kat curled up next to Rick, while he wrapped his arm around her. They were sleeping soundly within minutes.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Castle woke up the next morning to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He blinked a few times, wiping the sleep from his eyes with one hand. He looked down beside him and realized they had slept in the exact same positions all night long. Kat still curled up on her side facing him, his arm wrapped around her. He hadn't woken up like this in… god he couldn't remember when. The ringing phone jolted him out of his thoughts and he eased his arm out from around Kats sleeping form. She re adjusted herself and went back to breathing softly, so Rick knew she hadn't woken up. He got up as quietly as he could , grabbed his phone and went to the kitchen to start coffee. "Castle. Hey Beckett. Yeah I'm glad we talked last night too." He skipped past that part as fast as he could, considering he had just spent the night in bed with his oldest friend . "Have you guys found out anything else on the case? Sure, she's still asleep but I'll wake her and we will be there soon. Okay, bye." He disconnected and leaned against the counter, deep in thought.

That's how Kat found him a few minutes later. She had rolled over to realize he had left the bed. No longer feeling all warm and cozy she decided to get dressed and investigate the smell coming from the kitchen. He always did know how to make a great cup of coffee. She stood next to him, bumping him with her hip, rousting him from his thoughts . "Morning Rick. Sleep well?"

He smiled down at her "Yes. Extremely well. You?" he poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her. She took it , wrapping both hands around the mug before taking a deep breath in of the scent.

"You always did have a way with a coffee maker Rick." She took a sip, moaning to her self as it hit her tongue. "Yes, it felt nice to be next to you again. But please know I don't want to step on any toes with your relationship with Kate. I promise , I'll go back to my place tonight." As she was talking her eyes fell to the flowers sitting on the counter for the first time since Kate brought them in. She cocked her head and inched towards them.

Rick shook his head "You aren't going anywhere until you are safe. And that's final." He noticed she had a funny look on her face "What is it ? What's wrong?"

"The flowers…." She explained "I hadn't paid attention to them until now. Rick that's the same type of rose that my date gave me… you don't think that's a coincidence do you? Who sent these to you?"

Castle realized he never even looked at them after Kate dropped them off. "I have no idea. Let's see if we can find a card ?" They started searching through the stems until the small white piece of paper revealed itself. He took it and immediately went white. He saw Kats questioning look toward him but he just played it off. "Gina. Wanting a favor. I need to make a call I'll be right back ." He practically ran to the bedroom and called Beckett back.

"Beckett. Hey Castle when will you –"

"Kate I need you to send a CSU team to my apartment immediately. I also need somewhere for mother and Alexis to stay. Please."

Kate knew he was serious when he said please, along with the fact he didn't throw out a cute quip or witty comment. She didn't even ask questions, she said she would be there with a team within 20 minutes. The boys were coming in to the bull pen as she hung up with Castle.

"Somethings come up at Castles loft. Grab a CSU team and follow me there. Also find a safe house for Martha and Alexis." she told them and strode out of the room before they could ask questions . At the tone if her voice they knew not to hesitate and both grabbed their coats while on the phone, one with CSU the other setting up a safe house as requested .

Across town-Castles loft

Kat sipped her cup of coffee and realized Rick has been in the other room for awhile … she was starting to get worried about him, when he re emerged. Dressed and carrying a bag… He could see the questions in her eyes, but didn't want to scare her. He had texted his mother who was still upstairs to let her know the situation, and that she and Alexis needed to get some things together .

"Rick what's going on? Gina making you do a book tour ? Is that what the card was about?" she made a noise. "She always had the worst timing."

Rick shook his head . "No, it wasn't Gina. Kat –" he was interrupted buy the knock at the door. "Come in!"

Kat had already been extremely concerned, but became even more so when the door opened and she saw the detectives with a team of other officers dressed in blue.

"Rick?" her voice gave away how frightened she was. He ushered her to the couch .

"It's ok ,sit here , I'll be back." She sat down and he huddled with the three detectives, handing them the card that had come from the flowers vase… along with what looked like a button ? Kate started giving orders and the other people in blue started taking pictures of the flowers, dusting the vase with some sort of powder. Kat had seen enough crime t.v. shows to know, they were dusting for prints . She heard conversation about Martha and Alexis… and they appeared down the stairs each with bags in their hands. They glanced over at her… She saw sadness in their eyes. Pity? Fear maybe? They were ushered out of the room by a tall officer . She sat back and watched the room bustling with people. Kate laid a hand on Ricks arm, and Kat thought at least they can have a moment during all this, whatever THIS was. Finally Rick came and sat next to her on one side , Kevin sat on the other. Kate and Kevin's partner Javier stood to the side . She looked in Rick eyes… anger with a touch of fear. She had seen that look before, when she woke up at the frat house the night he rescued her. His blue eyes stared into hers, until she broke the silence.

"Who is going to explain what all this is about?"

Rick automatically moved closer to her, his instinctive way of trying to protect her, she realized it immediately . From what she still didn't know . It was actually the handsome Hispanic detective that spoke first.

"The flowers that were delivered, had a camera in them. It was a small button camera, wireless, attached to the white card that came with the flowers. It's powerful. And it has a decent reach, but not too far. Whoever was watching you guys has to be fairly close. " he paused to see how she would react.

"A...camera?" she whispered, her eyes welling up with tears. This man had come to Ricks home. His sanctuary...And had violated their privacy. She put her hand over her mouth , hanging her head she couldn't stay strong anymore . That was the moment Katherin Bend broke.


	14. chapter 14

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews !! I love the guesses whether Kate is going to be a victim in this plot… And then the last reviewer threw in Kyra too! I'll just spoil that Kyra isn't in this story… but we shall see about Kate ;)

Chapter 14

Kat sat, head in her hands , unable to process what the detective in front of her said. A camera ? She's been photographed, now video taped? WHY? That's the only word that kept bouncing around her head… why would someone do this? To her, to these other women that had been killed… what did they do to this man to make him want to hurt them ? She felt the need to punch something, she could feel the anger rising up inside her. She jumped up quickly from the couch and started pacing. Rick tried to usher her to sit back down but she just shrugged him off. She had too much energy. She started to feel claustrophobic, with four sets of eyes staring at her , waiting to see what she would do. She finally spoke "I can't stay here. I have put you in danger Rick. You and your family."

Rick shook his head "No, you need to stay close. We will have a guard put on the loft. I sent mother and Alexis away as a precaution. I don't think anything will happen." He tried to reach for her hand and she quickly moved it out of the way. She couldn't let him touch her, she would have fallen apart.

"Rick you've done enough. I can't ask you to do any more."

"Then where will you go?" He was sullen she was choosing to leave, almost pouting .

The two male detectives spoke up "She can stay with me" they said together. Kate smiled. It wasn't typical for the boys to fight(not really), but she knew they were both massively protective. Either one would do a good job protecting Kat. She also figured they each had very different reasons for wanting to keep this woman close. Javier had a fierce need to look out for his partner, and Kevin… well, anyone could see the sparks between the two.

"If someone could accompany me to my apartment I would really appreciate it. I need to grab some stuff , and I still have the vase from my last delivery. Maybe your team can check it too?" Kat needed to get to her apartment, for some small shred of normalcy.

"Espo why don't you take her to the apartment. I'll call CSU and have them meet you there. We will finish up here and meet you back at the precinct."

"Rick…" Kat couldn't look him in the eyes. He stood in front of her and opened his arms , pulling her in close to him. She buried her face in his chest, as he kissed her on the top of the head.

"You don't have to say anything KitKat. I will always be here for you. No matter what…" he released her "I know the detectives will do everything in their power to keep you safe. Just because you aren't here with me doesn't mean I can't help. Anything, say the word. I'll so whatever you need. Just tell me where to bring the potato chip fudge ice cream , and I'll be there." He heard her giggle and he felt relieved.

She raised on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then turned to follow Detective Esposito out the door. One more glance backwards, a small wave, and she was gone.

Across town

A table crashed… a lamp broke as it was thrown against the wall... John Smith was beyond angry. His camera had been found. Now he couldn't keep an eye on his beloved Kat. Once they had removed the camera from the white card it was embedded in, his feed went dark. Damn these meddling detectives! Why couldn't they just leave her alone?? And the writer… he saw them go to bed the night before, to the same room. That was another one that would need to be taken care of. He started scrolling through the dating site, trying to find someone to entertain him… get his mind off Kat.

Kats apartment

25 Barley street apartment 2D

The car ride had been quiet. Kat had too much on her mind to make small talk with the detective seated next to her. She was curious why he had offered his place to her, when she didn't really know him all that well. They started up the stairs to her place when she finally asked "So detective, are you ever going to ask me the question you've spent the last 15 minutes trying to put into words ?"

He smiled. She was good. "Yeah, you and Castle. You a thing?"

She laughed "That's what you decided on? That question? The answer is at one time yes. Now? No. I will always love Rick, but I'm not in love with him anymore. " They were approaching her place when he put his hand on her arm to stop her , and pointed at the door. It was ajar. He put his finger to his lips letting her know to stay quiet, got out his weapon and opened the door "NYPD! Put your hands up!" Kat stayed outside until he shouted "All clear!"

She walked in to find her place in shambles. Her heart sank. Someone had destroyed her home. She glanced around but didn't notice anything missing on her first pass . Bending down she started to pick up some glass that was on the floor from a shattered picture frame but Javier stopped her. "It's a crime scene. Leave everything as is. I'll call CSU, let them know what they need to search for. " She nodded and sat down on a bar stool, so she didn't disturb anything . She realized the vase from the previous delivery wasn't where she left it.

"Detective – the vase, it's gone. I threw the flowers out a few days ago but I left the card and vase right here on the counter. Does that mean he was in my apartment?" She was starting to feel claustrophobic again. She tried a few deep breaths to help her calm down. Esposito could see where her mind was running and gently patted her shoulder.

"It will be ok. He couldn't have done this and not left some shred of evidence as to who he is. He is going to slip up. We will catch him, believe me." He was saying the words, but even he didn't believe them. This guy was good. "Listen, let's go to my apartment and get you settled. You'll feel better after a shower and a nap." He knew he wasn't being very comforting but he didn't know what to say. His partner was the soft spoken, easy going one. He almost rethought his offer to let her stay with him, knowing Kevin would be pissed, but he also knew he could remain objective when his brother couldn't .

Kat nodded , and they left the CSU team that had arrived to their work.

Castles loft

"Beckett. It was? Okay. Thanks Espo. Yeah get her to your place. I'll check in soon." Kate pressed end on her phone and turned to Kevin. "Ryan her apartment was tossed. They are on their way to Espos apartment right now. Go take her statement, see if she recognized anything missing . I'll get with CSU and see if they found anything." Kevin nodded at her and left. "Nuh uh Castle, you stay here. You can't be any more involved than you already are. Just stay put. I'll call with up dates. " she gave him a stare that made him decide to rethink his next words.

"Okay Kate. Whatever you say." He retreated to his office and she let herself out of the loft.

Javiers apartment

"It's not a loft, but it's not bad for me…"Esposito lead Kat inside, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Kat smiled "It's cozy Detective. I see you play ?" pointing to the gaming system sitting near his tv. "What's your poison?"

He grinned at her "You play? This I gotta see. Kev and I have Madden nights...Maybe we can play a game later ? Shower and extra clothes are that way . You hungry? I can order Chinese."

Kats eyes lit up at the mention of food, so he went ahead and got ready to order delivery from his favorite spot. She padded off to the bedroom, and he heard the shower start a few minutes later. As he was ordering he heard something come from the bathroom… a voice. It stopped him on his tracks. She was singing…

 _At last my love has come along_ _My lonely days are over_ _And life is like a song_

Holy wow… she could sing! He was jolted out of his thoughts by the voice on the other end of the phone. He shook his head and finished the order, ending the call. He listed as she continued her song .

 _Oh yeah yeah_ _At last_ _The skies above are blue_ _My heart was wrapped up in clover_ _The night I looked at you_

He heard the water turn off, and her humming. He made himself look busy until she popped her head out from his bedroom. "Clothes?"

"Oh yeah I have some extra sweats in my closet. Help yourself. "

She smiled and disappeared again, only to emerge a few minutes later dressed in baggy sweat pants and a shirt 2 sizes too big for her. She had knotted it to make it fit . "Thank you, I feel a million times better already. " she sat down on the end of the couch. "What? You are giving me a funny look…"

He shook his head "I heard you singing. You were fantastic!" He didn't try to hide his enthusiasm. "Where did you learn how to sing like that?"

Kats cheeks turned red. "Martha. She gave me singing lessons from when I was 12 all the way through til I started college. Thank you that was sweet of you to say." She never did take compliments well, and felt a little embarrassed at the attention he was giving her.

Before the conversation could continue there was a knock at the door. "Foods here" he jumped up to greet the delivery man and set the food down on the counter . "I wasn't sure what you would want, I just ordered a variety." He got plates and utensils out and set them next to the cartons. They deposited what food they wanted on their plates and returned to the couch.

12th precinct

"DAMMIT!!" Kate slammed her desk phone down hard. Hard enough for the bull pen to cease it's dull roar. No prints . CSU found nothing in her apartment, nothing on the vase from the delivery to Castles place… this guy was REALLY pissing her off. They hadn't found one shred of evidence. Nothing that would lead them to an actual person, just the web site connection to John Smith. Kate pinched the bridge of her nose. If only Castle could offer some crazy insight right now. She felt bad benching him, but he was too emotional. He couldn't be rational, not where Kat was concerned . No she did the right thing…

Javiers apartment

Kevin had his hand poised to knock when he heard his phone buzz in his pocket. Checking the caller is he saw it was Beckett. "Ryan. Damn. Ok I'm here now I'll see what we can get. Thanks." Hanging up he rapped on the door. A moment later Esposito opened it.

"Hey bro just in time. I ordered food. Come in." He stepped out of the way so Kevin could enter.

Kevin saw Kat sitting on the couch, in too large clothes for her… She had wet hair and looked...content. He walked in and sat his jacket down on the counter, picking up a plate and helping himself to what was in the containers . "How are you doing ?" he asked Kat.

"I feel a lot better after a shower and food. Did they find any prints or anything at my apartment?"

He shook his head . "No unfortunately, and not on the other vase either. We need to figure out a different approach to this. This guy doesn't seem like he's going to slip up at all. What else can you tell us about this John Smith ?"

She tucked her legs up underneath her and sat for a moment, thinking back to her experience with him. "Nothing stands out that I can think of…"

Esposito spoke up "How did the first conversation go? Did anything seem odd ?"

She thought back "Well, it was a bit strange because he messaged me almost immediately after I joined… he said something like I've been waiting for you… I just thought he was trying to be clever or something, but now … "

 _Flashback_ _The night had gone exactly as he planned . The decoy was having dinner with HER… and he could see everything. Her_ _perfect smile, how her blue eyes twinkled under the lights. He needed to be careful though, she seemed to sense someone_ _was watching her. But she didn't seem to mind, she just continued on with the date, so he continued to watch. He could_ _see the decoy hold her hand as he escorted her out of the restaurant … something he wished he could experience. Instead_ _he followed them out, close enough to smell her perfume, then he quickly went the opposite direction. He was obsessed with this woman… and it was driving him to think bad thoughts…_ _End flashback_

Kat shuddered at the thought that this man might have been following her for some time. "We talked about my profession, my hobbies… but it was like he already knew what they were. He asked me where I learned to sing… I didn't think I had mentioned that to him before. He asked how my cases were at work…it was all pleasant enough. Just… odd."

"You sing?"

"You're a lawyer?"

"Oh yeah dude she is great you should hear her!" Esposito didn't pass up the chance to let his partner know he had heard her talent.

Kat could feel her cheeks flushing again. "To answer your question Detecti—Kevin… yes. I practiced with the great Martha Rodgers. I sing at a club near Broadway on the weekends. And to answer your question Detective Esposito, yes I am a criminal attorney. I was studying criminal justice in college when I suggested to Rick that he write crime novels. And Richard Castle was born soon after." She smiled fondly at the thought of when she saw his first book dedication to her.

"That's why he dedicated his first books to you! You launched his career? That's amazing! " the boys were impressed.

"That's not how Gina saw it."

 _A/N: sorry for the abrupt cut off but couldn't stop writing this one... wasnt sure where to cut it off so I figured that was as good of place as any. please enjoy!_


	15. chapter 15

A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far!! So a tiny bit of background… I sing. Hence the reason I made my character a singer. While I'm not Broadway bound any time soon, I do love belting out show tunes. So indulge me please the timing of when this story could be taking place, and the songs I'm going to incorporate are not going to sync up. I'm going to throw newer songs to Broadway for part of it... if you know the show you would understand… Waitress is a Broadway musical, based on a movie that Nathan Fillion starred in… so I kinda thought it was perfect this chapter is kind of long so…forgive me!

Chapter 15

Gina. Such a thorn in her side for so many years. She hated the woman for causing such a rift between her and Rick, but even more so between herself and the only family she had left in the world. Yes, she considered the Rodgers family. Martha nurtured her talent… Rick was her white knight… then Alexis came along and even though it was only for a short while, even though they weren't actually together at the time, Kat felt like they were their own little family unit. She had been without parents, without her grandmother for years. It felt nice to belong…

"Gina hated me. How close Rick and I were, had been… We shared things she never would with him, and it made her to tell him a horrible lie about me. It caused our friendship to end. She's the reason we hadn't spoken in 20 years. Thankfully Rick and I have gotten the chance to talk about it now, and obviously we are ok but… that woman… I will be happy if I never see her again ." She knew she was being harsh, but she didn't care.

The detectives glanced at each other and quickly changed the subject. "Having voice lessons from Martha? That must have been something!" Ryan was very interested to find out more about this talent she had. "What type of music do you sing?"

Kat shrugged . "Any really. But at the club it's mainly show tunes. Martha's specialty." She grinned. "I loved sneaking in to watch her do a show. She lit up the stage."

"Girl you were on fire earlier. That Etta James was off the hook!" exclaimed Javier. "Bro, you should have heard her!"

"I hate to ask this, but… can you remember anything else about the guy? Maybe talk to a sketch artist?" Kevin had stalled long enough. He knew the needed to get down to business, even if he did want to talk to her all day long. He wasn't thrilled his partner was getting cozy with the girl he liked, though he didn't think Espo would do that to him. "Plus you said you are a lawyer. You don't think this guy could be connected to you that way do you?"

Kat pondered for a minute. "I didn't recognize him at all. So I don't think he has anything to do with my attorney life. Maybe he came to see me at a show? I doubt it though, I mean I'm not ON Broadway… just singing at a club. What if we lay a trap for him?"

The boys caught each others eyes , and waited for her to explain.

"What if I go back on the dating site? Message him and say I had a good time and how sorry I took so long to get back to him, but I got busy with work? We could set up another date? This time you guys would be there to catch him!! It might be the only way we can catch this creep!" she was off and running, like Castle when he was dropping a theory. "I need my laptop. It's at my apartment , is there a way CSU can find it?"

"They're done in the apartment , so I can run by and get it for you. Plus some clothes , and anything else you want." Esposito knew she and Kevin needed some time, he was fine playing gopher.

"Thank you detective! It's hidden in my closet."

Both men gave her a look.

" Because of the work I do I have to lock it up when I'm not home. I'll be honest, I've put away some really bad people. If someone found my files, it wouldn't be good." She picked up a pen and pad of paper sitting on the table next to her. "I have a safe in the floor of my bedroom closet. It's a number lock, just type them in order -10040818." She handed the paper to Esposito. "I have a duffel bag packed for a trip I was going to take- it should be by my bedroom door. If you can bring that too it would be great. "

He nodded , grabbing his jacket and headed out the door. "Lock this Kev."

Kevin hopped up and locked the door behind him as requested, then reclaimed his seat on the couch. "So, a singer. And Javi heard you? I'm jealous." He said with a wink in Kats direction .

Kat just giggled "I sing in the shower. It's an acoustic thing…everything sounds better. I don't even realize I'm doing it sometimes." She shrugged "whenever you want to hear me detective just say the word."

12th precinct

Kate was staring at the white board so hard she didn't hear Javier come in and stand next to her. She didn't even know he was there until he spoke.

"So I went back to Kats apartment to grab a few things…"

"Espo! Don't sneak up on me like that. Wait where is Kat?"

"I left her at my place , Kevin was there I figured they could use the time alone. We were talking, she's decided she wants to try and trap the guy. She thinks that this could possibly work, but do NOT tell Castle."

"Don't tell me what?" the writer appeared in front of them, handing a cup of coffee to Kate. "What doesn't Kat want me to know ."

"I thought I told you to stay at the loft Castle ?" Kate accepted the coffee but admonished the writer. "You can't be here. You know that."

"I can't sit at my loft alone, knowing people are in danger. I need to help. So tell me, what plan does she have ? And how can I assist?"

Javier gave his head a shake. He did not want Castle to hear about this idea and freak out. It was a solid plan, they just needed to shore up the details. With both Kate and Castle staring at him be decided to go ahead and explain. "Kat wants to go back on the dating site and set up another meeting –"

"NO!" Castle clapped his hand over his mouth. "Sorry. Instinct. Continue"

"As I was saying, she thinks setting up another meeting will bring this guy out where we can catch him. We also talked about her professions. We were thinking he may have actually been introduced to her because of one of them."

"Professions? Plural? What is she doing now?" Castle realized after all these years he didn't know his friend at all.

"Well she's a criminal lawyer, and she sings at a club on Broadway."

"She's still singing? Mother will be so proud…" Castle trailed off deep in his own thoughts.

 _Flashback_

 _"Me mo me mo meeeee! Use your diaphragm dear! " Martha Rodgers loved teaching, almost as much as she loved_ _performing . And this girl, at 16 , had more talent than she had seen in a very long time. She glanced over at her son who_ _was watching them. He couldn't hide the hearts in his eyes, almost like one of those cartoon characters in love. She turned her attention back to the young woman in front of her. "I want to hear you in the_ _back of the house. Let's do amazing grace. You excel at that one. Go ahead… "_ _The soft, soulful voice started_ _"Amazing Grace… how sweet the sound…_

 _that saved, a wretch, like me_ _I once was lost, but now am found._ _T'was blind, but now I see."_ _Kat turned and locked eyes_ _with Rick who was staring, and she turned red._ _"Ignore him dear, keep going." Martha encouraged her to_ _continue._ _" T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear_ _And Grace, my fears relieved_ _How precious did that grace appear_

 _The hour I first believed"_ _Martha wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. This girl… she was going to go far._

 _End flashback_

Rick shook his head "I can't believe she's still singing after all this time. Kate you should hear her, she's unbelievable. I could see one of her audience members becoming infatuated with her. We should check that out."

Kate cocked her head and addressed Javier "Is that true Espo? Do you think it could be someone that visited the club?"

He shrugged "Doesn't hurt to check it out. I've heard her, Castles right she's pretty amazing. But the attorney angle is a good one too. She said she put away some rather bad people … maybe this guy is connected to one of them? I'll go back to the apartment, see what we can come up with."

"Tell Kevin to check out her laptop and client files, you check the club and see what you dig up. Then we can talk about the "trap " she wants to set, get the details straight. Get back to me in the morning." She checked her watch and saw the day had sped by.

Javier nodded, leaving the precinct to head back to his place.

Javiers apartment

Javier walked in to find his best friend leaned back on his couch, eyes closed. He walked around the front to see Kat laying with her head in Kevin's lap, his hand on her shoulder. They had fallen asleep, and looked incredibly peaceful. He hated to disturb them, but he needed to get Kevin up to speed . He softly poked him in the shoulder "Kev. Wake up." The man didn't move. Javi rolled his eyes and poked him again a little harder "Kevin. Bro."

The blond haired detective finally opened his eyes. "What…What's going on?"

Javi put a finger to his lips and pointed down at Kat, who was still blissfully sleeping.

" Oh, shoot. We fell asleep. Sorry man." He eased out from under Kat, laying her head down on a pillow and followed Javier to the kitchen. "We were talking about… well everything. And she asked if she could just close her eyes for a second… I didn't realize we both passed out."

"No worries man. Listen I got her stuff, and stopped by the precinct. Beckett wants us to follow up on her jobs. You take her laptop and case files, check into her clients . I'm going to go to the club, talk to the staff see if they have seen anyone strange hanging around. And Beckett said the date trap was good. Just need to get into details."

Kevin nodded, took the laptop from the bag and sat back down on the couch carefully so he didn't disturb Kats slumber.

Javier retreated to his bedroom to change. His outfit screamed cop, and he wanted this to be more of an undercover assignment. He had his head in his closet digging through clothes when he heard Kats voice nu"Need help detective? I heard we are going to the club."

He spun around "No you don't have to go. I thought you were asleep"

She scoffed "How will you get anywhere there without me? And I was. The nap was perfect. I'll call the owner see if I can get a set for tonight. I'll perform, you can check the crowd." He saw she had the duffle bag in her hand. "Mind if I use the bathroom?" he shook his head no and she disappeared inside . A few minutes she emerged, decked out in jeans, heels that Beckett would be proud of, and an off the shoulder sweater that brought out her eyes. She had let down her hair, and it fell in waves around her shoulders. Javi didn't realize he was staring until he heard Kevin's voice pipe up.

"Wow Kat… you look amazing!" "Damn." He muttered under his breath.

Javi picked his chin up off the floor and nodded in agreement. "Yeah you look great. Let me find something-"

"Less cop like?" She finished for him. "May I? " she gestured towards his closet and he shrugged . Taking that as a yes she leaned in , rummaged through the clothes and pulled out a deep burgundy dress shirt. "Here. This and your leather jacket. Perfect." She handed it to him and breezed back to the living room, with Kevin following behind her.

When Javier finished getting changed , he walked in to the living room to Kevin had left, and Kat on the phone. She finished her conversation and hung up. "That was Ben, the owner. He said it was perfect timing, he had someone cancel for tonight. We're set. I'm on at 10. I didn't give him any heads up, so the staff might cooperate, they might not."

"That's fine, I'll call Kev if I need any back up for any reason. Although, we are talking about a show tunes club, not like it's in Washington Heights… I think I'll be ok." He offered her his arm "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." She took his arm and they exited the apartment .

Blue Moon club

Broadway

Javier and Kat walked in to the club, and we're immediately surrounded by a group of women chatting incessantly. "Ooo who is this Kat?" "Where have you been girl?" "You didn't tell us you were dating anyone!" Javier started to pull away but Kat kept a tight grip on his arm.

"Ladies calm down! This is my friend, Javier. JUST a friend, so don't start any rumors. He has never seen me perform so I thought I would show him what I'm made of." She winked at him, and this time HE turned red. Normally he would be basking in the glow of these women's interest , but tonight he had a mission. He wanted to get to his task, but she wouldn't let go of him. "You can't get away that easy" she whispered in his ear. "I have to go back stage. Start with Rob the bartender. He knows everything that goes on here, even more so than the owner . I'll see you after my set." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and a wave and was off before he could reply.

He was in the middle of a conversation with said bartender when he heard his phone buzz. He made a "just a second " motion to the man. Checking the screen he saw it was Kevin. "Hey Kev whats up?"

"Hey. So I couldn't find a hit on her clients, it doesn't seem like this is related to her being an attorney. She sing yet?"

Javi laughed , his friend was not all that sneaky. "She's going on in a few minutes. Just get down here." He relayed the name and directions to his partner who promised to be there shortly. Hanging up he went back to the bartender and they continued their conversation. He saw Kevin out of the corner of his eye walk in about 10 minutes later. He thanked the bartender for his time and waved his partner down. They grabbed a table as they heard the owner announce Kat coming up next.

"Ladies and Gentlemen , we have a treat tonight! This next act had taken a break from performing for awhile to pursue a "real job"(the crowd made good natured booing noises) but she couldn't stay away! Please put your hands together for our very own, Miss Katherin Bend !"

Katherin stepped out on stage, microphone in hand. "Thank you Ben for that sweet introduction. (Scattered laughs throughout the room) Yes I did take a break for a bit, but I will always come home. And this place? Is home for me. I want to dedicate this set to my friends Javier and Kevin who came to watch me tonight. Boys, thank you for all you do."

 _Maybe this time, I'll be lucky_ _Maybe this time, He'll stay_ _Maybe this time_

 _For the first time_ _Love won't hurry away_ _He will hold me fast_ _I'll be home at last_ _Not a loser anymore_

 _Like the last time_ _And the time before…_

Her voice was like silk… Javier figured he would be bored if he had been honest but instead he was enthralled. He gave a sideways glance at Kevin, who couldn't take his eyes off the woman on stage.

 _Everybody loves a winner_ _So nobody loves me_ _'Lady Peaceful, ' 'Lady Happy,_ '

 _That's what I long to be_ _All the odds are in my favor_ _Something's bound to begin,_ _It's got to happen, happen_ _sometime_ _Maybe this time I'll win._

Kevin was done for. The moment he heard that sound come out of her mouth, that was it for him. She was perfect, in every sense of the word. Sweet, caring, beautiful… she has a voice like honey, soothing and calm.

 _'Cos,_ _Everybody loves a winner_ _So nobody loves me_

 _'Lady Peaceful, ' 'Lady Happy, '_

 _That's what I long to be_

 _All the odds are in my favor_ _Something's bound to begin,_ _It's got to happen, happen sometime_ _Maybe this time,_ _Maybe this time, I'll win._

The room erupted in cheers, and the boys didn't hesitate to join the crowd.

"Thank you!" she was grinning from ear to ear. She hadn't performed in a while, and didn't realize how much she actually missed it.

He walked in as she was talking on stage… her eyes sparkled, like they did when she talked about something she was passionate about. Her face beamed. She looked like an angel under the lights, it almost stopped him in his tracks. He settled into a corner table, out of the way where no one would bother him while he watched his favorite performer.

"So my next song is one of my favorites, it's extremely powerful. So forgive me. "

 _It's not simple to say_ _That most days I don't recognize me_ _That these shoes and this apron_

 _That place and it's patrons_ _Have taken more than I gave them_ _It's not easy to know_ _I'm not anything like I used to be_ _Although it's true_ _I was never attention's sweet center_ _I still remember that girl_ _She's imperfect but she tries_ _She is good but she lies_ _She is hard on herself_ _She is broken and won't ask for help_ _She is messy but she's kind_ _She is lonely most of the time_ _She is all of this mixed up_ _And baked in a beautiful pie_ _She is gone but she used to be mine_ _It's not what I asked for_ _Sometimes life just slips in through a back door_ _And carves out a person_ _And makes you believe it's all true_ _And now I've got you_ _And you're not what I asked for_ _If I'm honest I know I would give it all back_ _For a chance to start over_ _And rewrite an ending or two_ _For the girl that I knew_ _Who'll be reckless just enough_ _Who'll get hurt but_ _Who learns how to toughen up when she's bruised_ _And gets used by a man who can't love_ _And then she'll get stuck and be scared_ _Of the life that's inside her_ _Growing stronger each day_ _'Til it finally reminds her_ _To fight just a little_ _To bring back the fire in her eyes_ _That's been gone but it used to be mine_ _Used to be mine_ _She is messy but she's kind_ _She is lonely most of the time_ _She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie_ _She is gone but she used to be mine_

When she ended there wasn't a dry eye in the establishment, including the singers'. There was a moment of silence after her last note , before she received a standing ovation.


	16. chapter 16

A/N: sorry about the length of the last chapter, but I wanted to get the scene at the club right ! Sneaky Pete (Or john) was there… now will our hero's in blue catch him??? Only time will tell! also I have no idea what's up with the spacing when I'm typing the lyrics up. They look fine before it uploads … anyway back to the story!!

Chapter 16

Kat bounded off stage , and into the waiting arms of Detective Ryan. He scooped her up and spun her around, making her giggle. "Kat that was AMAZING! I couldn't believe what I was seeing, or hearing. Castle is going to be mad he missed this. " he finally released her and they turned to Javier. "Javi wasn't she incredible?"

Espo nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah you were really great. You definitely belong on stage." He gave her a quick hug and stepped back.

"Thanks guys, that means a lot!" they were interrupted by a waitress tapping on Kats shoulder. "Hey Emma! Long time no see!" she gave the girl a quick hug "How are you?"

"Hey Kat, sorry I can't talk but you were great! This was left on the corner table for you." The girl handed Kat one rose, and a white card. Before thinking Kat reached out and took it, her face went white when she read the note. _"I am so glad I stopped by tonight. Beautiful as always. See you soon XO"_ She dropped it as if it burned her, and took off towards the entrance of the club with the detectives close behind. Kat burst through the front door, checking left and right for him. He had JUST been there he couldn't have disappeared that fast. But there was no one in sight. She turned around to punch the wall and ran straight into the detectives. "He was here! Dammit he was just here and he got away. I should have stayed on stage longer , I should have …"

They both tried calming her down. She was right about one thing. They missed him. But it wasn't her fault. They got distracted, and they would be the ones taking the heat for it. Not her.

"No Kat it wasn't your fault." Kevin grabbed her hand, trying to steady her. "We didn't search the club, we should have."

Javier spoke up "Someone had to have seen him, and now we can ask the staff and patrons . Maybe even get fingerprints off the table he was at. I'll go back inside start talking to people…call a CSU team to come down , see if they can get anything." He stopped when Kat grabbed his arm.

"No. I can't have this place spoiled… I'll talk to them. Please. Take that-" she pointed at the flower and card in Javiers hand "and have them dusted. I'll talk to Ben, we've known each other for a long time. I trust him to help if he can "

The men shared a look, but ultimately agreed. This was her place, she called it home. So she would be the best person to "canvas" it per say. The trio went back inside , oblivious to the man watching from across the street.

Oh his sweet Katherin… she looked effervescent on stage. She belonged there. Now who these two dopes following her were, he would have to do some investigating regarding them. The blond haired one seemed to be enamored with his beloved, and that just would not do. The other man, John wasn't sure about him. He could see he felt something for Kat, but he wasn't exactly sure what it was. They were both in awe of her when she was on stage, but who wouldn't be. He was lucky tonight that she didn't catch him… he was getting sloppy. He couldn't help it though, he needed to be around her. She was like air, giving him life. Satisfied with the evening he went home, to contemplate their next meeting.

Javiers apartment

It was close to 1 am by the time they returned back to the apartment. Kat had a conversation with Ben the owner, letting him know quietly that she was having an issue with a stalker , and she needed his help in catching the guy. They came up with a performance schedule that she could do, that would allow him to keep an eye out on her. She had spoken to Emma , who told her she didn't see the man at the table. When she had walked by there was no one there, just the rose and card with Kats name on it, so she had brought it to her. No glasses left, and the bartender didn't serve that table any drinks, so that was a dead end. Kat was exhausted. She really wanted to beat something … take her frustrations out. Maybe she could talk the boys into letting her go to a gym or something, work out her anger. But for tonight she was ready to drop. The boys were having their own conversation so she didn't interrupt. Kat decided to help herself to the shower, and grabbed a change of clothes from her bag. As she felt the hot water rain down on her, she finally let her emotions go. Heavy sobs racked her body, and she sank against the shower wall. Drawing her knees up to her chin she cried. Over the loss of the women this man had killed, over the loss of her apartment… over the loss of her safety, and the fact the club had been tarnished for her now. She wished her grandma was still alive. She begged to understand, why her? She didn't realize how long she had been sitting on the shower floor until she heard a knock at the bathroom door.

"Hey Kat, everything ok?" Javier had come to check on her. She realized he probably wanted his shower that she had held hostage.

"Yes sorry Detective I just… lost track of time. " she shut the water off and poked her head out. "Can I have a towel?"

"Oh yeah of course" he handed it to her and turned around to give her privacy. "Sorry I didn't mean to bother you I just… heard the water running and no singing. And you said you sing in shower, I just…wanted to make sure you were okay…" he shook his head. How stupid did he sound right now? He heard her pull back the curtain and step out. "I didn't know if you wanted to join Kev and I- we were gonna do a game of Madden." He felt her standing behind him so he turned around and their eyes met. She had wrapped the towel around her , but his eyes ran over her bare shoulders down to her legs and back up to meet her eyes. "Sorry . I should…" his legs didn't move. Why weren't they moving? His brain was telling him he should be retreating to the living room, where his best friend and partner was waiting for him… but yet his body wasn't cooperating. He stopped breathing when Kat wrapped her arms around his mid section and hugged him.

"Thank you for everything you are doing to keep me safe. I want you to know how much I appreciate you letting me stay here." She let go of him, kissed his cheek and padded off to the bedroom to change.

Javier stood there for a moment, unable to comprehend what had just happened. She thanked him. He failed at his job tonight but she thanked him anyway. He finally exhaled the breath he had been holding. Damn, what the hell is it about this girl?? He can't get tangled up in this. He went to the sink and splashed cold water on his face , trying to make himself wake up. He headed out of the bathroom in time to see Kat facing away from the door, so he quietly made his way to the living room and flopped down on the couch next to Kevin.

"She ok? Dude your shirts wet." Kevin pointed out.

Javier looked down at his shirt. "She hugged me. Thanked me for letting her stay here. I screwed up tonight Kev. I didn't pay attention to the surroundings. But she still thanked me." He couldn't wrap his head around it. At that moment they heard Kat make a soft *ahem* noise. They looked up to see her standing in the doorway, skin pink from the hot water. "I hear a Madden tournament is about to start? Ill play winner?" She wanted to put earlier behind her, what better way than to get a few games in.

She didn't make it though. She passed out about halfway through the first game. The boys noticed she had stopped making conversation and glanced over to see her curled up in a tight ball on the couch. They paused the game and Javier gently picked her up and disappeared in to the bedroom. He laid her down on his bed , covering her with a blanket . Brushing the hair off her face he started to lean down and give her a kiss , but stopped himself . Instead he walked back out to the living room and told Kevin she was tucked into bed .

Kevin took it upon himself to go and give her a kiss goodnight. She stirred slightly when his lips touched her forehead , but her breathing didn't change. He joined his friend back in the living room. "so, you want the couch I'll take the chair?"

Javier nodded, grabbed two beers from the fridge, handing one to Kevin they began their game again.


	17. chapter 17

Chapter 17

The boys had fallen asleep around 3 am, after Javi pummeled Kevin at Madden. Kevin awoke first, around 6 am. Cop hours made it hard to sleep in, and he was ready to start working on the case. He started to the bathroom to grab a quick shower , when he heard Kat whimpering. He made his way over to her. "Kat? You okay?" no sooner had the words left his mouth when she yelled "NO!" and sat up in bed like a shot. She started panicking, unable to catch a breath.

"Kevin?" her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him.

He sat next to her on the bed, and she laid her head on his chest. "Bad dream. You're ok. I've got you." He stroked her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're safe."

"Kevin… I… I could see him. Like he was standing right here in front of me. It felt so real…" her body shook with fear.

Javier woke up when he heard the shout, and hurried back to the bedroom to see his partner comforting the distraught woman. He ducked back out before either of them saw him. Deciding to do something useful, he left to grab coffee and breakfast, leaving them alone.

"We have to catch him. I can't do this every night, afraid he might be coming for me. Afraid he's going to hurt someone else. We need to set the date up. As soon as possible." Kat couldn't stop shaking from both anger and fear. She wasn't sure which one was winning out at the moment. But she felt safer with Kevin's arms wrapped around her. He didn't say anything , he didn't pull away. He just held her. Her breathing was returning to normal when they heard the door to the apartment open and close. "I've kept you too long, you were coming through here to get a shower weren't you. I'm so-"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry Kat. You had a nightmare, a pretty intense one. It's nothing to be ashamed of or sorry about. I'm glad I could be here to calm you down. You okay if I grab that shower ? I won't be long." She nodded and he gave her shoulder a squeeze before retreating into the bathroom. When she heard the water turn on she got out of bed and padded into the kitchen area where she found Javier with coffee and a bag from the coffee shop around the corner.

"Hey, you okay? I heard you shout, but saw Kevin had it handled." He handed her a cup of coffee. "Thought maybe you might need this. I'm sure you aren't used to cop hours. You can go back to sleep if you want. "

She shook her head vehemently. "No. I'm definitely awake for the day. Thanks for this." She tipped the coffee cup towards him. "I want to get the day started. I need to do something, so I get out of my own head. What would be the best way to get this date set up? Or do you think it's too soon after last night? He might think it's a trap…dammit I feel useless." She slammed her hand down on the counter causing the hot coffee to splash out onto her arm. "ow!"

Javier grabbed a towel, running it under cold water and wrapped it around her arm. "Hey now, don't go injuring yourself. We need you in one piece if we are gonna pull this off." He still had a hold of her arm when Kevin walked in.

"Coffee? Thanks Javi." He glanced at his partners hand on Kats arm "Did you hurt yourself?" Javi dropped her arm like it was on fire.

"Oh just me being clumsy. Spilled hot coffee on myself, no biggie." She unwrapped the towel from her arm and handed it back to Esposito. "So gentlemen, what's on the agenda for today. I was just asking Detective Esposito whether he thought it was too soon to set up the date. I want to do whatever I can to get this guy, but I don't want to scare him off. So? What do you think?" She leaned against counters edge, carefully taking a sip of the hot liquid in her cup.

"First off, I'm going to need you to start calling me Javi. No need to be formal when you are staying at my place. Second, I say we stick to the club. You said the owner is going to keep an eye on you right? Ill be there as back up, blend in… do what I should have done last night and ask questions. Watch for any unusual customers. We can see how that goes, then move on to the date set up. Sound good?"

Kevin nodded. "Yeah and I'll get you with a sketch artist, see if we can come up with a description of this guy. Then we can comb street cameras at the crime scenes. See if we can find him…that might get us a better ID than John Smith."

The plan was set in place, so Kat retired to the bedroom to change and get ready for the day. While she was gone Javi decided to have a chat with his partner.

"What happened earlier? I heard her yell…"

"Intense nightmare. Said it felt like the guy was here, standing in front of her. Shook her up pretty badly but she should be okay now. Javi we gotta get this guy. She's taking this on like it's her fault. She won't be able to last more than a day or two feeling like this, you and I both know that from experience." Kevin had been attacked, his gun taken from him by a serial killer, who then used it in a murder. He carried that guilt still, even though the guy had been caught.

Javier knew exactly what he meant. As someone who used to be in special ops, Javier Esposito shouldered the guilt of other peoples deaths with him every day. He had done everything he could, but he still lost fellow soldiers. A nightmare was just the beginning of the PTSD Kat would possibly face after this ordeal.

12th precinct

Kate Beckett started her day early. Looking at the murder board, seeing the three victims faces staring back at her she realized their best lead was Kat. She didn't want to make this woman be a target, she knew Castle would hate her for even suggesting it. But there was nothing else to go on. They had attempted to get somewhere with the dating site, but the information they could send was minimal. John Smith, 38 years old. He didn't have any sort of profile information on his page. Most of the messages he sent were generic , nothing helpful there. Not even where he was from, where he worked… it was like he was a distraction. Almost like he was planted as a decoy for the police to follow , when the real killer was still out there. Hiding in plain sight. Kate cocked her head and looked at the board again. That's exactly what this guy was. It fit. She picked up her phone to call the boys when she saw them walking in with Kat.

"Espo! Ryan! Get anything at the club?"

They glanced at each other, heads hung. They made their way over to Kate's desk, when Kat spoke up.

"Detective Beckett. He was there, but got away before anyone could lay eyes on him. He left me another rose, and card. The boys wanted to call a CSU team, but I requested we keep it quiet. If the cops had started swarming then we wouldn't have another shot to draw him out. And that place is my home. I just couldn't bear the thought of it becoming a crime scene." She had taken the fall for them. Both men looked at her and then each other, silently thanking her for saving their behinds.

"Understood. When will you perform again? We can have more plain clothes officers in the crowd, help keep things contained."

Kat handed Kate her phone. "Its got my calendar all set up. Copy whatever you need. The owner Ben knows what's going on and has agreed to help in any way he can." She glanced at the board "Have you come up with anything else?"

"Actually I think I have. The fact that this guy hasn't been seen, but set up the dates with the victims makes me think there's two people. He's using a decoy. Someone to have out in front, in case that person gets caught. Then he's still safe behind the scenes. I want you to get with the sketch artist. If we can get a description of the front person, that may lead us to whoever is behind all this. You up for it?"

Kat was ready to get this man. To stop him from hurting anyone else. Kate sat her in the lounge area with the artist and left them to their work. About an hour later they finally had a picture of the man from the dating site that they could use to canvas with. Kat sat back relieved. Maybe this would be the turning point they needed .

Across town

He had found out from the club's website that Kat would be singing this coming weekend. He knew he would have to be in attendance but he couldn't risk another near run in with those two men that were following her. Thankfully he had a few days to come up with a plan. This would be it. The time he actually speaks with her. It had to be perfect, just like she was.


	18. chapter 18

A/N: More club scenes! The featured songs in this chapter are A New Life from Jekyll and Hyde, and Over the Rainbow from Wizard of Oz. I'm trying a different format in word for the lyrics hopefully that keeps them from squashing all together. I also am detouring from my original path. Not sure why, it kind of just went that way. If you hate it or doesn't make sense to you, let me know! As always I love pm's likes and reviews!!

Chapter 18

The week was uneventful. The detectives worked, then came back to Javis' apartment where the trio had dinner , then watched movies or played Madden … it started to become routine. Rick even came by one night to check in.

No other leads, no hits on the sketch. No more bodies either so they took it as a win. Friday night rolled around, and it was time for Kat to perform again. This time they would be ready for him. The club was almost at capacity for her set. They slipped in plain clothes officers among the crowd to help watch the patrons, while Javier and Kevin took spots at the bar. Kat stood on stage, afraid of performing for the first time in years. What if he was there? Or worse, what if he wasn't ? How were they ever going to catch someone that had been invisible for so long. She took a deep breath, scanning the crowd, until she found the two pairs of eyes she longed to see, one blue, one brown. Kevin gave her an encouraging smile, while Javier opted for a thumbs up. The corners of her mouth automatically upturned, and she began her song.

A new life,

What I wouldn't give

To have a new life

One thing I have learned

As I go through life

Nothing is for free

Along the way!

A new start

That's the thing I need

To give me new heart

Half a chance in life

To find a new part

Just a simple role

That I can play

A new hope

Something to convince me

To renew hope!

A new day

Bright enough to help me

Find my way!

A new chance

One that maybe has

A touch of romance

Where can it be,

The chance for me?

A new dream

I have one I know

That very few dream

I would like to see

That overdue dream

Even though

It never may come true!

A new love Though I know there's no

Such thing as true love

Even so,

Although I never knew love

Still I feel that one dream is my due!

A new world

This one thing I want

To ask of you world

Once before it's time

To say Adieu, world

One sweet chance to

Prove the cynics wrong!

A new life

More and more I'm sure

As I go through life

Just to play the game

And to pursue life

Just to share it's pleasures

And belong

That's what I've been here for

All along!

Each days a brand new life!

It was an anthem for Kat. She took her bow and when she rose she saw him. In the corner, wearing a ball cap and trying to stay out of sight. Was that really him?? She tried to get someone's, anyone's attention but they were all occupied. She took a different approach .

"Ladies and Gentlemen thank you so much. As many of you know, I took a break from performing. But someone special convinced me that I needed to be on stage again. They have been watching me for awhile, and I want them to know that I am so grateful for the attention they've given me. So to my biggest fan, if you're out there… this is for you."

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high,

There's a land that I heard of

Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue,

And the dreams that you dare to dream

Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far

Behind me.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly.

Birds fly over the rainbow.

Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly

Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh why can't I?

She talked to him. Referred to him while she was on stage. Could it be she finally appreciated the gifts he had given her? He was so distracted by talent he almost didn't notice one of the men that were with her the other night. It appeared he was searching the room… for him? Was this a set up? No she wouldn't do that to him. He ducked out of the club and made it to his car without being seen. He breathed a sigh of relief… He knew he was tempting fate by watching her perform but he had to. He couldn't stay away. Next time, she would come with him.

Kat took her bow and exited the stage. "Did you see him? I think he was here , in the corner at a table!" A few of the plain clothes officers made their way outside, looking like regular patrons that were leaving the club after the show was over. One radioed back to Javier that they saw a dark blue van leaving from across the street , but only got a partial on the plate. It was something, better than what they had before. He went to track down Kevin to give him the update and found him with Kat.

"Hey so they saw a van pull out from across the street. For a partial plate , I sent it to Tory see if she can pull anything off the cameras outside. Great show Kat, really. That was a perfect tactic to draw him out."

"Well maybe if he realizes I've noticed his "gifts" , then he will be more inclined to slip up? I don't know, I had to try something."

"You're doing great Kat. Truly." Kevin grabbed and squeezed her hand. "You're doing everything exactly right. Just play it like a normal performance. We will get this guy."

"Hopefully sooner rather than later. " she stifled a yawn. "Sorry boys. Mind if we head back ? I'm about to drop."

"I'll stop by in the morning. Not that I don't love the chair at Javis…" Kevin kissed her cheek "You were fantastic. I'll see you guys tomorrow ." He fist bumped his partner and headed out the door.

Javiers apartment

The duo walked in and Javi threw his keys on the counter. "You want something to drink?" he reached in to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. From the short time they had spent together he knew she wasn't much of a drinker.

She shook her head at the bottle. Tonight , she needed something stronger. "Whiskey?"

He glanced at her trying to decide if she was serious… when he saw the look on her face he decided she was, so he opened a bottle and poured two tumblers. "What's going on? You never drink with Kevin and me… why is tonight different ?"

She slammed the whiskey back in one gulp. "Tonight it feels right." She scooted the glass back towards Javier, silently requesting another pour. He obliges , downs his and pours himself another as well.

"Come on girl. Talk to me." He lead her to the couch, taking the glass from her hand. "What's going on inside that head of yours?"

"Javi, I'm tired. I'm trying really hard not to be but…." She hung her head in shame. "I know the three women he killed deserve justice, I just don't know how long I can keep being bait." He started to protest but she put her finger up to silence him. "That's exactly what I am, is bait. And I know it's important . I know we need to do this, I just feel like it's taken over. I want to go out. On a date. A real one, where we don't talk about this case. One where I am nervous and giddy, and spend too much money on a dress and shoes I can barely walk in… where the guy DOESN'T buy me flowers , but something more personal. " she sighed "Can I do that? Will I ever be able to do that again?"

Javier couldn't take it anymore. He had been fighting wanting to touch her for a week, ever since she hugged him in the bathroom after her shower. He leaned in close, laying his hands on her knees. "Yes. Let's do it."

"Really? You mean it?" She looked so excited at a possibility of a normal night out, it made him happy.

"Yes. Let's go out. Tomorrow night, you and me. I'll take you somewhere special, where no one will bother us. You go tomorrow, get the dress and the shoes, and whatever else you want. It's a date." He couldn't help but grin when she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"Oh thank you Javi! This is going to be amazing. YOU are amazing. Thank you thank you!" she pulled away, but before she pulled back completely she kissed him on the cheek. "You are the best. I don't know what I would do without you. " she hopped up from the spot she had previously occupied. "I'm going to take a quick shower and head to bed. I feel bad you have to sleep out here when your bed is massive. Why don't you just sleep with me?" She bounced back to the bedroom without waiting for his answer.

He sat there staring after her. Why didn't he sleep with her? Well, for one thing there was Kevin . Yes he realized he kind of just weaseled his way into going on a date with Kat, but sleeping in the same bed with her? That was different. Could he do that and not touch her? Could he do that to his brother ? Javier still wasn't sure what the two of them had, but he knew that over the week since Kat had been camped at his apartment, his own feelings for the woman had grown. He needed to check in with his partner ASAP. He and Kevin always had each others backs – til the wheels fell off was their signature saying. But this time… he wasn't sure how loyal he could remain.


	19. chapter 19

A/N: So? Likes? Dislikes? Spill please I'm having a hard time deciding which way to go with this… so help me out please ! Might have to put up with some flip flopping for a bit.

Chapter 19

Javier waited until he heard the water turn off and he knew Kat was in bed before he went to check on her. Sure enough she was fast asleep . He breathed a sigh of relief, and headed back out to the living room. Better to just stay out here tonight, and talk to Kevin in the morning.

The next morning started like any other… except this time Javier made breakfast. When Kat smelled the pancakes cooking she practically leapt out of bed and bounced into the kitchen.

"Is that… are you cooking?" She stared in shock. They had only eaten take out since she had been staying with him.

"Hey now, I cook… sometimes." He couldn't help but smile at her amazement . "Chocolate chips?"

"Uh… duh! Of course!" she took a seat at the counter . "What's the occasion?"

"Well, you wanted a date. I figured why not start the morning out right. Breakfast is served m'lady." He placed the plate of pancakes in front of her, taking the opportunity to kiss her on her temple. "Enjoy. I'm gonna grab a shower." He left the room and Kat couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. She looked down at her plate and saw the heart made with chocolate chips and she giggled. The cuteness didn't stop her from digging in, she never was one to be finicky when it came to food. She was still enjoying her pancakes when he came back and joined her.

"So, the plan for today?" She stuffed a bite in her mouth and a small moan escaped. "God these are good. You've been holding out on me Javi."

"Hey, I've got many hidden talents… you'll just have to stick around to find out what they are." He winked at her, her face turning red. "I figured you would want to find that dress you were talking about, and I need to run an errand. Meet back here later ? And no, you won't be alone." He could see the question marks in her eyes. "I'll have an officer follow you. Sound like a plan?"

She nodded and pushed back her plate. "I want to stop and see Rick before shopping if that's ok?" She hopped down off the stool "I'll go get ready. Thank you for breakfast Javi. It was amazing!" she retreated to get ready and Javier pulled out his phone to call Kevin.

By the time she finished getting ready, Javier had talked to Kevin and set up a time to grab coffee. This conversation was more of a face to face, rather than over the phone deal. So they left the apartment and went their separate ways.

Coffee shop

Kevin could tell by the tone in his partners voice something was up. He couldn't help but be worried… had there been a threat and he didn't know about it?

"Hey bro. Thanks for meeting me." When they took a booth in the back of the shop, Kevin realized Javier wanted some amount of privacy for this conversation, which peeked his interest.

"Of course. Everything ok? Where's Kat?" His concern was apparent.

"Oh she's fine. She's gone to visit Castle, and do some shopping. I have a unit tailing her. But, she is the reason is wanted to talk to you. And, there really isn't any other way for me to say it, so I'm just going to come right out and say it… are you still interested in her? Cause, I am." Tact was never Espos strong suit. He was more say whatever was on his mind…which was definitely NOT the way to go here.

"Seriously?? Where is this coming from?" Kevin wasn't really all that surprised , he could see how his partner was watching Kat when she was on stage, and at the apartment. "You know what Javi… I get it. She's amazing. Talented, gorgeous… yes, I want to pursue something with her. We are adults, so if you are interested in her too, then so be it. But right now we need to be concentrating on catching her stalker and the killer that's dropped three victims."

Javier cast his eyes downward , like he had been scolded. He didn't want to make his best friend mad, nor did he want him to think he wasn't taking the case seriously. He just didn't want to hide anything from Kevin, and now it was all out in the open. "Kev- you're right. She wants things to be normal. She's tired of everything, so I told her we could go out tonight. Bottom line, I didn't want to lie to you. You are my brother and always will be. Nothing will change or get in the middle of that. I just wanted to talk things out. You know I'm not sentimental by any means, but she means a lot to me, and so do you."

Kevin knew he was being serious. Javier wasn't one to get mushy and it was usually Kevin that was the more sentimental one, so he knew his partner had it pretty bad. "Its cool bro. Take her out, let her enjoy herself. She deserves it." He held his fist up and Javier reciprocated with a bump.

5th Avenue

Kat was walking down 5th Ave window shopping, completely lost in thought. Her visit with Rick went nicely . He was going to come to her next performance at the club, so he could finally hear her sing. She was looking forward to tonight. She contemplated the differences between the two detectives. Kevin was soft spoken, sweet and nurturing . Javier was hard, business like but attentive. He had shown her that morning that he had a softer side, not to mention he had conceded and agreed to take her out. She felt bad for whining the way she had, but she really was tired of being cooped up and monitored all the time. Speaking of that, she checked behind her and found the unmarked cruiser following her. She gave them a small wave and then stopped to look at a dress in a window. She was too busy in her thoughts and the dress she didn't notice the man in the ball cap standing next to her, and didn't feel the pinch of the needle until it was too late. The last thing she remembered was turning and seeing dark eyes, almost black, staring back at her. Then it all went dark.

Coffee shop

Javiers phone rang and he recognized the name of the officer he had following Kat. "Espo. What? Shit. Where ? We'll be right there."

Kevin knew it was bad. The demeanor of his partner changed with that call. "What happened?"

"The patrol following Kat. They lost her. Last they saw of her she was in front of a store window on 5th avenue. Said there was crowd of people and when they cleared she was gone." He started to panic and a million scenarios ran through his head. None of them good.

"Hey partner snap out of it. We need to canvas and check video. I'll call Beckett, you call Tory. We will find her Javi." The detectives started their respective phone calls, exiting the shop and heading to their vehicles .

Undisclosed location

Kat woke up what seemed like hours later, still fuzzy on the details of what had happened. She checked her surroundings, and couldn't gain much from the dark room she was in. She was trying to breathe slowly so she didn't go into full blown panic mode when she heard a door open and close. She pulled herself into a ball on instinct , attempting to make herself as small as possible. A few seconds later she heard a voice.

"There's no need to be afraid of me my love. I'm sorry for the horrible conditions but I'm afraid it can't be helped right now. But don't worry, nothing but the best for you as soon as I can get it arranged. Do you need anything?"

She peered through the darkness trying to make out any shapes , but there were none there. So the voice wasn't actually coming from inside the room she was in, it must be a speaker ? "Yes, hello? I could really use a glass of water please? My head is pounding…"

"Of course, I'm so sorry I had to drug you. I saw you were being followed and didn't want a scene. You will have something to drink momentarily." The voice stopped again. Kat looked down and realized she hasn't been shackled so she could move around the room freely, but when she attempted to stand her legs gave out on her. "I wouldn't do that quite yet, the drugs in your system are pretty powerful. It'll take a few hours before you are able to walk" she heard what sounded like a metal scraping noise, then the voice came back. "I've had a glass of water and some aspirin put by the door. I'm sorry I can't come in to see you yet, but I have some loose ends that I need to take care of. We will be together soon I promise."

Kat curled up in to a ball , and started to silently sob.


	20. chapter 20

A/N: it was inevitable that this guy escalate from stalking to kidnapping right? I mean he committed murder… now will Kat be found? And who is this guy???

Chapter 20

12th precinct

The boys heard Castle before seeing him. He was livid, and they didn't blame him.

"ESPO! RYAN!" He bellowed across the bullpen. They winced at the tone of his voice.

"Hey Castle , look we already know…" Kevin attempted to calm his friend down, who was having none of it.

"You know? She's been kidnapped by a murdering stalker, and what?? Where were you?" he turned to Javier "Espo she's staying with you, why was she alone ??" Javier lead Castle into the conference room with Ryan following and shut the door.

"Castle listen, she had a detail on her. She wanted out of the apartment, didn't she tell you when she stopped by this morning?" he knew Castle was worried about his friend, so he ignored the attitude he was getting. "She was planning on shopping and then we were going to meet back at my place. I… I'm sorry." He hung his head, knowing the man had every right to be furious.

"Castle we are doing everything possible to find her." Kevin jumped to the defense of his partner. They were all angry and worried, but Castle shouldn't be taking it out on just Javi. "We have the license plate of the van, and are running it through street camera footage to see if we can locate it. I promise as soon as we get a hit you will know. Go home. "

The writer refused. "Let me help, I need to do something."

The detectives glanced at each other. "You can help Tory watch video surveillance . It'll be better with another pair of eyes." They lead him down to where she was set up and put him to work.

Beckett heard the commotion and saw Ricks face-how angry he was. She got it, she promised him they would keep Kat safe,and now she was gone. She knew the boys are kicking themselves about it, and Castle being there throwing it in their faces wasn't going to help anyone . She made him a cup of coffee and brought it to him. "Castle you have to be gentle on them. We need to focus on getting her back, not who is to blame for her being gone."

"THEM. They're to blame!" Castle knew he needed to stop, Kate was right. He knew Kevin had come to have deep feelings for Kat, and it appears Javi did too. He knew he couldn't punish them about this. So he concentrated on the video on front of him and took a sip of the coffee Beckett had furnished.

Undisclosed location

Kat had stopped crying, her body had no tears left. She laid in a ball on the cold floor willing herself to stay awake. She needed to start processing her surroundings. She tested her legs and found they were sturdy under her, so she retrieved the water and aspirin that has been placed inside the door for her earlier. She tested the knob and found it to be locked. Now that she was mobile and the drugs were out of her system she could explore the room a bit more. No windows, and just the one door. It smelled like stale air… reminding her of a basement or cellar. She looked up in the corners of the room and saw a red dot in one of them. A camera, naturally he would be watching her. No sooner had she glanced that direction when a voice came over the loud speaker again.

"Hello my love. Feeling better ? I saw you took the aspirin, I'm glad. We don't want you feeling bad . Now I need you to stand back against the wall please."

She did as requested, and the door opened revealing a man, brown hair and brown eyes , average height , holding a blind fold. She recognized him immediately. "You're John from the dating site? The one I went on the date with? Why are you doing this, I don't understand?"

The voice came over the speaker once more "Oh no darling, it's not him. He's just my decoy. I couldn't have the police know what I actually look like, not after the things I've done. Now put on the blindfold and allow him to take you to your new room. Go ahead, do as I say."

She shook her head "I won't go anywhere with anyone until I know what is going on here!" the man holding the blind fold had been silent up til then. He whispered "Just do what he asks. It's not just you here…" he held out the fabric to her and reality set in. She wasn't alone. He could have another victim somewhere. So Kat took the fabric and tied it around her eyes. When it was apparent she couldn't se through it, "John" took her hands and led her out of the musty room.

12 th precinct

Javi and Kevin were questioning the detail that was supposed to be following Kat.

"What happened? Why did you lose her?" Kevin balled his fists on the table trying to suppress his anger. He looked to his right and saw his partner wasn't doing much better.

"We had her. She was in front of a store picture window, looking at a dress on a mannequin. All of a sudden a crowd of people showed up, like a mob.. When they cleared about 60 seconds later she was gone." The officer was devastated that they had lost this woman, especially since he knew these two were personally involved.

"A mob? Like what, a flash mob?"

"They didn't break out into dancing, but that's what it reminded me of! It was like they were told where to be, what time and for how long. Then they all disappeared. By the time we knew what was happening … " the officers partner spoke up.

Javi and Kevin shared a look. That sounded crazy. A flash mob? Made no sense. They heard pounding on the window outside the conference room they were occupying. "GUYS! WE GOT SOMETHING !" Castle. He sounded excited about whatever he found so they thanked the officers and followed Castle back to the room he had been in.

"What ya find Castle?" Javier was hoping for a solid lead. Something , anything that could bring them to her.

"Did the officers mention a crowd of people showing up? Right around the time Kat went missing?"

How could he know that ? "Yeah actually they said it appeared to be like a flash mob without the performance." Kevin sounded shocked "Tell me they were right…"

"They were. Tory found something."

"The cameras picked up the crowd of people. And when they said crowd they weren't kidding. About 30 people swarmed to where Kat was standing, and stood there for about a minute, then all dispersed. Thing is, one of the cameras picked up one of the individuals going back to their car." She flashed a picture up on the screen "I ran their license plate. Meet Sam Jennings , of Queens. Here's his address." She handed the piece of paper to Kevin who was closer. Thanking both Tory and Castle, they strode out of the room , grabbed the keys and headed out of the precinct.


	21. chapter 21

Chapter 21

Kevin and Javier arrived at Sam Jennings apartment, knocking and announcing themselves. A moment later the door opened and a tall gentleman appeared . "Can I help you?"

"Sam Jennings? I'm Detective Ryan this is Detective Esposito. We need to ask you a few questions regarding your whereabouts earlier today."

"Sure. Come on in." he stepped aside and allowed the detectives entry. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Well, you tell us. You were a part of a mob of people that were on the corner of 5th avenue and East 61st street today. Want to tell us why?"

"Oh the performance art piece?"

The detectives looked at each other . "performance art?" Javier asked "explain that further."

"Sure. I answered an ad in the paper. Said that the art piece would last around 1 to 2 minutes , and that we could collect our pay at a mailbox store near Lincoln Square."

Kevin cut in. "Do you remember anything else about the ad? Was there a name or phone number?"

"I have it here, hold on I'll find it. No name or number, but I'll be glad to give you the box number I picked the money up from if that helps?" Sam quickly found the newspaper clipping "here you go. They said they had the permit for it, did we do something wrong?"

"No, but a woman was taken during your mob right on that corner. We think the attacker actually set this up to cover the kidnapping. Anything you can tell us will help."

"Did she have blond hair? I saw a woman looking into a shop window. I thought she was a part of the mob but then I noticed she wasn't there when I looked next."

"Yes! Did you see anyone else near her? Someone out of place?" Javier became desperate. He had seen Kat! Maybe this would pan out after all.

"Yes, a man in a baseball cap. He was facing the window too, so I'm sorry I didn't see his face. He was… taller than me. 6'2? I'm so sorry detectives I had no idea we were helping someone commit a crime! I feel horrible, please let me know if I can do anything else." He found the information for the mailbox store and the detectives left on a mission.

While on their way to Lincoln Square, Kevin called Beckett to update her on their progress, and to have her ask Tory to check the street cameras again. This time facing the window of the store the mob was in front of. Maybe they caught a reflection of this man… it was worth a shot anyway.

Undisclosed location

Kat felt her guide stop in front of her, and heard a door open. Then he took her hands again and walked with her into the room. He took off her blindfold and she blinked at the sun streaming in her face. "Where are we?" she turned and asked out loud.

The guide had stayed silent through the trip from the stale smelling room to here, but now he spoke. "Your new quarters. He wants you to enjoy being here." He lowered his voice to a whisper "please tell me someone coming for you." His eyes were sad and pleading . She nodded slightly, she was sure they were being watched . The man turned around and left closing and locking the door behind him. She heard the voice over another loud speaker.

"I hope you enjoy the room. It was never my intent to have you in that dreadful spot. There are fresh clothes in the closet, towels in the bathroom . I wish I could be there to see you in person but I have some things I need to tend to. If you need anything John will be around, just hit the button on the nightstand . I'll see you soon my love." And just like that the voice was gone.

Kat crept around the room, testing the windows – all locked. Not just locked she realized , they were nailed shut. She tried to gauge where she was by looking outside at the scenery, but all she saw was trees. No buildings , so it wasn't in the city. At least it didn't look like it. She sat on the edge of the bed, and tried to come to peace with what was happening. The boys had to be looking for her by now. She realized she hadn't told the detectives how much she cared for them. She had been childish and complained about having to stay cooped up and what happens when she is out on her own?? She gets kidnapped . She should have just stayed at the apartment and been happy that she was safe. She thought about Rick. How much she loved him, about his two red heads and how much she loved being a small part of his family.

She was feeling defeated when "John" came back in the room with another glass of water. "He wants you hydrated." He set the glass on the table and turned to leave again.

"Wait! Why are you helping him. What does he have on you? Please, I need to understand."

"John" didn't turn towards her, he just simply stated "he's blackmailing me. I had to be his front person, or he would kill my family. They have no idea he has them under surveillance, or where I am. They think I left -my marriage, my kids… I haven't seen them in more than a month." He hung his head and exited the room. Kat realized there were so many people counting on her. She had to get out of here, and stop this man. The problem was she had no idea how.


	22. chapter 22

A/N: please leave reviews! I love them

Chapter 22

12th precinct

Javier and Kevin came back to the precinct after an eventful few hours, but now were at a standstill. It was late…they had been working non stop all day long trying to find Kat. They had gone to the mailbox store, but there was nothing more to do tonight. Paid for in cash , no receipts . They requested security footage which the owner said he would forward to them in the morning. Maybe they could catch a glimpse of this guy on camera. Both men were exhausted, but they weren't giving up. They grabbed coffee from the break room and took their spots at their respective desks. Castle poked his head out of the office they has left him in hours prior.

"Castle you're still here? Go home man get some sleep." Kevin wasn't shocked the man was still there, but there wasn't much else they could do this late.

"No way. If Kat isn't found, then I'm staying right here. Did you find anything ?" he ventured fully out of the room and leaned against one of the desks .

"Yeah" Javier started explaining "talked to the flash mob guy from the video, he pointed us to the location he picked up his money. They promised to send over video I'm the morning. Really Castle there's nothing else for you to do. You should go home."

"I agree." Beckett strode up and stood next to Castle. "There's nothing for any of us to do tonight . I say we all get a good night's rest and start again in the morning. "

The boys shook their heads rapidly with Kevin exclaiming "No way. I'm not leaving."

"Me neither" Javier agreed. "I just need some more coffee." He went back to the break room to get another cup. While there he imagined back to just a few days ago when everything was perfect. Kat was safe, and staying with him. They all would hang out, have dinner and play Xbox. He thought back to the way she would twirl her hair absentmindedly, and how cute she looked when she was concentrating on something really important.

Kevin was having almost the same thought at his desk. Could the last time seeing her really be over Chinese food and Madden? He refused to believe that. He had a lot he wanted to tell her. How happy she had made him feel… How for the first time since Jenny left him that he felt alive.

Castle was lost in his own thoughts . His best friend, of 30 years, had been taken from him. First by Ginas lies and now by this murdering psychopath. They had to get her back. He needed her to be okay. Castle wasn't sure how he would go on if something happened to her.

Kate watched the three men in their various stages of thought and wondered… how could one woman throw three grown men into such a state of disarray. She knew the guys wouldn't leave the precinct even though she had told them to, so she decided to see if Tory could shed any light on where Kat had been taken.

"Hey Tory, thanks for staying . Any luck on the surveillance ?"

"Actually Detective I was just about to come find you. I checked the video feeds again, this time concentrating on the window for reflections. Do you see that?" she pointed to and zoomed in a spot on the video. "There's the man standing next to her. You can see turns towards him and then drops. I think he drugged her. The reflections are really fuzzy I'll try and sharpen them but…"

Kate watched the video, eyes squinted. "Play it again."

"Did I miss something?" Tory rewound and played the tape again.

"No… look there. There is someone filming the mob across the street! You can see their reflection . Maybe that camera will have a better angle or show something more. Have we found any of the other performers?"

"I've gone through all the camera footage we have been able to get access to. Sam Jennings is our best lead."

"Then I guess the boys need to do another visit." She strode out of the room and in to the bull pen with purpose . "Espo, Ryan…take another run at Sam Jennings . He has to be able to give us more than he has. There was someone filming the mob, see if he can give us a name."

The detectives nodded and set off back to Queens and Sam Jennings apartment .

Undisclosed location

Kat had kept herself so occupied with thoughts of escape she didn't realize how late it had gotten. There was no clock in the room, but she could see how dark it has gotten out. She realized when her stomach rumbled she hasn't eaten at all except for the pancakes Javi had made for her that morning. Had it really been that morning that they were planning their night out? She laid back against the pillows on the bed and sighed. Kat thought about the handsome detective, how sweet he had been to her over the last few days, and how welcoming he had made her feel. His chocolate brown eyes were vastly different from the clear blue ones of Kevin, yet they made her feel just as safe. She hugged her knees to her chest, thinking about her future. Would she have one? Would they find her? She had no idea who actually had her… since he used his decoy John for everything… actually she didn't even know Johns real name. She began to feel the hopelessness sink in.

She heard the door knob turn, and John entered the room with a tray. He sat it down on the table next to the bed, and turned to leave.

"Wait! Please , don't go yet. What's your name? Can you tell me where we are? Any thing ?" Kat pleaded, wanting answers.

The man referred to as John looked at her, and she could read the hurt behind his eyes. "My name is Ken Baker." He whispered to her, in case HE was listening. "We're on a farm, in upstate NY. I am so sorry…" the trailed off before walking out the door and locking it behind him.

It wasn't all the answers she was hoping to get, but at least it was something. She grabbed a handful of grapes off the tray and popped one after another into her mouth. How could she get out of this place? That was the last thought she had before passing out.

Watching from an office in the city was her captor. She looked so innocent, so peaceful. He loved watching her, whether it be in court or on stage. The detectives were so oblivious. They were chasing their tails trying to find the culprit… yet if they had paid attention at the club they would have noticed him. They were too busy admiring his love on stage. He did have to admit she was pretty extraordinary, but she was his. The two detectives AND the writer would just have to go away. Forget about her… He remembered the first time he had seen her perform.

 _Flash back_

 _Her face was like the morning sun. She stood on stage, commanding respect. She had come to the club asking to perform and from the moment he saw her, he knew she would be his downfall. His co owner Ben had asked him if he thought she would be a good fit for their establishment, and he had to calm himself down before responding. He didn't want to seem over eager, scare her off. So he watched her. Night after night , seeing how well she did in front of a crowd. Then one night she didn't come. He was devastated, he felt lost without her singing. He had tracked down Ben to find out if he was aware of where she was. He had found out she was a lawyer during the day, and had a big case she needed to concentrate on. He found out later she had signed up for a dating site, and made a plan. She would be his…_

 _End flashback_

Another screen showed a woman and child in their home, getting ready for bed. His decoy better play his part, or his family would pay the price.


	23. chapter 23

Chapter 23

Kat had become despondent. By her calculations it had been a week since she had been taken off that sidewalk. She knew the detectives must be going out of their minds, not to mention Rick. Would they find her? She was beginning to lose hope. Same routine, day in day out. John , or Ken since now she knew his true name, would bring her a tray of food three times a day. Most of the time it was drugged, and Kat would pass out for a few hours. Every once in awhile she was surprised to find it wasn't. Normal sleep didn't come easy for her. Her mind raced, she was afraid most of the time. When would this man decide he had enough and be done with her?? It didn't seem that would be anytime soon.

12th precinct

It had been a week of pure hell. The detectives ended up spending most of their time chasing leads or watching surveillance video. They had taken to sleeping in the break room , afraid they would miss something if they went home. Kate had finally told them they had to leave on the 5th day. Castle offered Ryan and Esposito his loft, as it was closer to the precinct than either of their places and was comfortable. They rested for a few hours and then went straight back to work. By day 7 they were both angry and depressed . Nothing was panning out, and she has been gone a week. They were getting desperate.

Finally towards the end of day 7 something broke. Sam Jennings found the name of the person that video taped their flash mob, and the person surrendered their video for review. He also gave them the details of who hired him, and how it all came about.

"So Jason is it? You were hired by the person who set up the flash mob through where?" Kevin rubbed his temples and prayed for a miracle. They had gotten their hopes up so much, and had gotten no where over the course of the week.

"A club down on Broadway. It's called the Blue Moon club? The owners hired me to shoot some commercial spots…"

Ryan and Esposito jumped up at the same time "Blue Moon are you sure?" Javier was shocked . The club Kat sang at was a part of this??

"Who hired you specifically? Was it the owner Ben?" Ryan had trouble putting the words together. Kat trusted that man.. If he had been behind this entire thing….

"Ben? Oh no, I mean he hired me for the commercials. The co owner/ silent partner is the one that told me about the flash mob."

"Name!" both detectives practically yelled the word at the man sitting in front of them.

"Tim Johnson." The man looked scared. "Why did he not have the right permits or something?" Jason knew that wasn't it. These two were way too wound up for permit violations.

The detectives raced out of the room ,grabbed their car keys and headed to the club. While on the way Kevin called Kate and Castle to update them. Kate was on the phone requesting warrants before he finished his conversation with Castle.

Blue Moon club

Broadway

Since Javier had only ever talked to the bartender, he decided to try that route again. Thankfully Rob was tending bar.

"Hey man, got a few minutes? I have some questions for you regarding Kat." Javier slid onto a stool and waited for an answer.

"Sure . Is she okay? I haven't seen her … well since you were here last with her. Ben was even asking around about her." He poured Javier a drink and slid it to him "On the house detective ."

Javier needed that drink, almost as much as he needed to see Kat again, so he downed it quickly. "I was told there's a silent partner in the club. Any idea who he is?" he saw Ryan out of the corner of his eye , talking to the waitress that had given Kat the flower the last time they were here.

"Tim? Yeah I guess you could call him a silent partner…you should talk to Ben about him. He's a bit creepy if you ask me. He doesn't come in often so most of the staff probably wouldn't recognize him if he was standing in front of them, but Ben can give you the low down." He nodded towards upstairs "He should be up there."

Javier caught his partners attention and they went upstairs to speak to Ben. Ten minutes later and they had everything they needed . Timothy Johnson, 42 lived in upstate NY. He had a house out in the country that he visited on vacation , as well as an office in Midtown. Ben was all too eager to give them the information. He let the detectives know how strange the man had become…. Obsessive over the talent that had graced the stage at the club. Kat was his current obsession, so it was a good bet this was the man they were looking for. They called Kate to update the search warrants with addresses. She said she would take the office in Midtown if they took the house in upstate NY. They agreed and went to pick up the warrant then make the 2 hour journey to the house.

Undisclosed location

Upstate NY

Kat woke up with a start when she heard a slam. She laid still until she heard footprints coming towards the door at a rapid pace. She curled up into a ball on the bed, trying to make herself as small as possible. She could hear yelling, voices… she couldn't make out what they were saying. Then she heard pounding on the door… "One, two, three!" she heard someone say and then a loud bang when the door crashed open. "Ma'am? Are you Katherin Bend? Ma'am?" she opened her eyes to see police had filled the room. She barely had time to open her mouth before she heard voices she recognized coming through the door.

"Kat? Oh my god we found you!" Kevin reached her first, gently lifting her off the bed and wrapping his arms around her. "I didn't think we would … I'm so glad you are okay!" He released her and Javier immediately enveloped her in to a hug.

"Estoy tan contenta de verte cariño" he whispered into her ear. When she heard his voice that was when it dawned on her she was safe , and she started to sob.

A/N: "I'm so glad to see you sweetheart" is the translation.


	24. chapter 24

A/N: I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all the people that liked, followed and especially reviewed this story!! You guys are seriously amazing and so so awesome! I never thought this little nugget of a story in my head would be this well received! I am not sure how much more there is to this series of events… but I could definitely see a future for Kat in other stories… we will see!! For now , here's the next chapter!

Chapter 24

Kat took a few deep breaths before trying to speak. "Ja…Javi?"

He still had his arms wrapped around tightly. He felt like if he let go, she might disappear again. When Kevin laid a hand on his arm he realized she was really there, and they had saved her. He let go of her and stepped back. He turned to speak to the other officers in the room, requesting medics to check on her. Kevin took the opportunity to sit down next to her on the bed and hold her hand.

"Everything is going to be okay now, I promise. You're safe."

She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes… thoughts of the last week came racing back and she yelled "Ken! Did you find him? His family is being watched he was being blackmailed it wasn't his fault!" she wasn't making sense she realized but she had to get it all out. Kevin squeezed her hand. "Yes, it's okay. We talked to him, and Beckett tracked down his family . They will all be put in protective custody. They are going to be just fine." He smiled at her warmly, amazed that she was worried about someone else after what she has been through. He could feel her relax against him again as he drew circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

Medics came in, and the next few hours were a blur. They transported her back to the city at her request – she wanted to be close to her family, Rick and his red heads … and like it or not the detectives were now part of it. When she was settled at the hospital, Castle came by.

"My god Kat, I thought I had lost you." He practically suffocated her he hugged her so tight.

"Ricky, I'm okay. Tired, but okay." She pulled away from him gently . "Really. I promise. I heard you helped find me. My white knight as always." She gave him a weak smile.

"I did, but those two " gesturing out to the hallway where the detectives were waiting "They did most of the work. They also hardly slept. You had us all really worried KitKat." He sat next to her bed holding her hand . "You have so many people that care about you… love you…. And would be lost without you. Please tell me you can see that. Those two men out there did nothing but try to find you for 7 days. Even after Kate banned them from the precinct to get rest. They crashed for a couple of hours and then went back to work. They love you Katherin."

Kat knew he was being serious when he used her full first name, not his favorite nickname or even just the shortened version. Kat knew what he was going to say next, tell her to make a decision on her feelings… but he didn't. Instead he rose, kissed her cheek and told her to get some rest. She laid her head back on the pillow and did just that.

In the hallway Kevin and Javier were pacing . They knew Castle needed to spend some alone time with her, but they really wanted to see how she was feeling, as well as get her statement.

While they were at the house in upstate N.Y., Kate had searched the office in Midtown. Tim hadn't been there, but she found the video feed of Kens family, and had officers go pick them up. They reunited the family and gotten them immediately into protective custody. Tim however had slipped past them, and was in the wind. She issued a bolo on the vehicle he had last been seen driving, and placed a call to all airports and train stations. He was going to try and flee NY, she was sure of it, but at least they would make it more difficult for him.

This also meant Kat would need to be under protection . Kate told the partners it was up to them who watched her for now. So they needed to talk to her about it. They also knew she needed rest. Castle exited the room and explained she had fallen asleep, so the discussion would wait. Martha called Castle as he was talking to the boys to send her well wishes. After hanging up with his mother Rick turned to the two detectives. "Guys, we need to talk." He looked serious, which in turn made the boys serious as well.

"What s going on Castle?" Kevin looked at him questioningly.

"Is Kat okay? Did she say something?" Javier jumped in.

"No. Guys, I'm concerned. She's gone through a HUGE trauma, and I know her. She is pretty strong but she can go to a dark place when she's hurting. And she'll hate me for telling you both this, but the last time she… she secluded herself. Didn't talk to anyone, not even me, for a good 3 days. I can't save her this time, I'm not equipped to help her with this. But you guys are. I guess what I'm saying is… I know how you both feel about her, but put that aside right now and just be there for her." Castle sighed. He hadn't even told them how dark of a place she could get to… hopefully they wouldn't need to know.

 _Flashback_

 _Rick found himself at Kats dorm room a few days after rescuing her from the frat party. He hadn't heard a word from her over the last 3 days, and knew he needed to check in. Her roommate didnt seem to notice or care if something was amiss, so he took it upon himself to check on her._

 _*Knock knock* "Kat? Honey are you there?" he banged multiple times with no answer. He tried the knob to find it unlocked, so he opened the door slightly and announced himself again. "Kat? Are you home?" he heard a rustle so he opened the door wider and let himself in. At first he didn't notice anything , except the place was a disaster area. It looked like someone had come through and ripped it apart. It was dark, but when he tried the light it wouldn't come on. Then he saw her, folded into a ball in the corner of the room. "Kat?" he knelt down in front of her and sucked in his breath. It was like she wasn't there. A shell… she looked at him with glassy eyes, and no recognition of who he was. Finally he whispered "KitKat?" and the light bulb went off._

 _"Rick? What are you doing here?" she stared at him._

 _"Kat I've been trying to get a hold of you for days. You missed Sunday dinner with mother and myself. She was worried sick, so was I."_

 _"What ?" it wasn't registering with her on how long she had been like this. "I just saw you yesterday… at the frat house." Her face scrunched up at the thought of it._

 _"No sweetheart, that was 3 days ago." He helped her up off the floor "Come on, let's get you in the shower. It'll make you feel better." He lead her to the bathroom and ran the hot water. Typically he wouldn't presume, but decided to go ahead and get in with her. In her state of mind he figured she would stand there all day if he left her alone. He helped her undress and then stood with her in his arms, water beating down on them for a good 20 minutes before she spoke._

 _"Rick? Somethings wrong. I can't remember the last 3 days. What happened?" she sounded calm, but he could hear a hint of panic in her voice._

 _"Don't worry about it Kat. Nothing important. You just need a good night's sleep is all." He hated lying to her, it felt incredibly wrong. But he didn't know how to even put it into words. He just held her, and vowed to always keep her safe._

 _End flashback_

The detectives glanced at each other and nodded in unison. Above all else, what mattered most was her wellbeing and safety.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: thank you again for the reviews! If you guys like it, I'll keep on writing it!

Chapter 25

The next few months were slow going. Rick insisted Kat move in with him while she was recovering from everything, and she gladly agreed. She didn't want to be alone, but wasn't sure if being at Javiers apartment would be the best place for her. She talked to Kevin and Javier every day multiple times. They were both so sweet and understanding. She felt bad , like maybe she let them down moving in with Rick but they completely understood. They still came over for Madden nights once a week. Kevin took her out for coffee every weekend, and Javier brought Chinese food over for her. They continued to search for Tim, but there was little progress. His vehicle had been abandoned , so they had no way to track his movements. The bolo went out on his description and where he was seen last , but so far it hasn't produced any hits. The lack of leads made the detectives nervous. He was still out there – would he try to take her again? Rick promised she wouldn't leave his sight, and he had stuck to that promise.

Finally after 3 months of no leads and no threats, Kat made the choice to move back to her own apartment . She knew Rick needed his home back, even though he had never mentioned it to her. She felt like it was time. While the boys came to visit her every week, Rick and Kate had no time together. Kat felt horrible,and decided as a gift she would send them on a weekend away.

"Kat, you don't have to do this. Really, I loved having you here." Rick was being a perfect gentleman about the entire thing, but Kat was having none of it.

"No way. Rick you put your life on hold for me for 3 months. You let me move in, kept me safe…I interrupted yours and Kates' relationship before it even got started. This is the least I can do. Go. Enjoy yourselves. The boys will help me move back home and when you get back everything will be back to normal." She wouldn't take no for an answer , so he called Kate and arranged to pick her up in an hour.

"I love you . And you're welcome back any time. Please, don't be a stranger. " he squeezed her tight ,kissing the top of her head. "I don't know what I'll do without you here…"

"Probably write another best seller!" she laughed. "I love you too Ricky." And with a kiss on the cheek from her he was off. She really had enjoyed being there with him,but it wasn't fair. Not to him, or Kate. Now she needed to start processing her feelings for the two detectives that had fought so hard to save her. The therapist she had been seeing , Dr Burke who came recommended by Kate, said that before she could fully heal from what had happened she needed to have very straight forward and honest conversations with both men. The problem was, she wasn't sure what those conversations were going to be about. She didn't want to make a pros/cons list for each man, that seemed too analytical and cold. The bottom line was she really liked both of them. Kat decided wine would help (or at least wouldn't hurt) and went to find a bottle.

Upstate N.Y.

Farm

Tim had evaded police for three months, but he had to find a new home , temporarily. There were loose ends to tie up… his beloved had been taken away from him, they had ransacked his house and office . He couldn't go back to the club, not that he wanted to right now. She wouldn't be there. She had stayed out of the public eye for the last three months, and he didn't think she would show up any time soon. He decided that for now his best bet was to get out of the state. So he got a car with cash, and headed south, with a vow to return.

Castles apartment

There was a knock at the door, which immediately caused Kat to panic. Even after therapy and the months she has spent recovering, something as simple as a knock on the door caused her to have a panic attack. She tried to steady her breathing and checked the peep hole, finding sparkling blue eyes looking back at her. She smiled wide and opened the door.

"Kevin! You didn't tell me you were coming by! Come on in." He brushed past her , leaning over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. She shut the door, locking it behind him.

"Where's Castle?" he said, glancing around the room.

"I sent him and Kate on a weekend away. They won't be back until Sunday. I was actually going to call you, I told Rick I'm moving back to my apartment this weekend . I was going to see if you were available to help." Over the last three months she had slowly taken personal items from her apartment and brought them to Castles to make her comfortable. She could definitely use the assistance in getting them all back home. "Kev? What's wrong? You look serious …"

He lead her to the couch and sat down hand over hers. "We've been trying to find … him… for 3 months and haven't seen a sign. You aren't safe while he's still out there Kat. I don't think you should be alone."

Kat squeezed his hand "Kevin I've been a burden on Rick for three months. He needs his life back, and I need to start mine again. You can't blame me for that can you?"

Kevin shook his head "Not at all..." He couldn't take it anymore. He had spent months being her support, her friend, just like Castle had asked. Now he needed her. "I ran into Jenny today. It's why I came by. It didn't go well." He hung his head in shame. There were still so many hurt feelings that came out when he saw his ex wife. Pain he thought had been buried, but came back to the surface when they ran into each other. Kat patted her lap and he laid his head down. He felt like a child, lost and in so much pain, but felt better when she ran her fingers through his hair. Everything came out. How he hated Jenny for leaving him, how he had been so afraid that Kat would leave him too, even if it had been unintentional. She let him talk for an hour, not interrupting, just occasionally stroking his head in her lap. It was exhausting for both of them, but Kevin needed to get it out. His last words struck Kat right in the heart. "I came back to life when I met you, and I don't want to lose you ever. I know you like Javi. I get it. But I just want you to understand how much you mean to me. And whenever you are ready, and if you would have me, I would like to take you out on that date you were promised." He sat up, his blue eyes gazed into her blue-grey ones, before leaning forward and gently kissing her on the lips. They separated and Kat had tears in her eyes. This man meant so much to her, she didn't want to ever cause him pain. So she was honest.

"Kevin Ryan, you are the most genuine, sweet, amazing person I've ever met. I am better because you are in my life. I would love if we could go out on that date." Her words made him smile from ear to ear. "You are right. I do like Javier, I don't want to lie to you about that. If we can go slowly, I would really like to see where this leads." She had a matching grin on her face and kissed him, this time with more urgency. They were interrupted by Kevin's phone ringing.

"Leave it." He said breathlessly reaching for her again.

"Kev, it could be important." She said the words out of obligation, not really caring if it was. She liked kissing this man, and didn't really want to stop.

He groaned and checked the caller ID. "Dammit. It's the precinct. I'm so sorry I have to go." He rose and started towards the door. "Raincheck. I'll call you later?" he grabbed her around her waist, pulling her close to him and kissed her until her head spun. When he released her and left she leaned against the door and sighed. Where was that wine? She definitely needed some now.


	26. chapter 26

A/N: love to all of you!!

Chapter 26

12th precinct

Javier Esposito had been planning the perfect night out for Kat and himself since she got out of the hospital. He whole heartedly agreed with Castle, that she needed time to heal and friends around her. And that's what he had been for months. Now? He was ready to move to the next level. Problem was so was his partner. Javi respected Kevin too much to go behind his back, so he made himself promise he would be honest and straightforward with him. To say he was disappointed that Kat hadn't moved back in with him to recover would be an understatement, but he got it. She still had a ways to go to completely heal, but Javier was hoping to help her with that. He looked up to see his partner walking in with a huge grin on his face, and his stomach dropped.

"Hey Kev, what's with the grin?"

"What, a man can't come to work happy?" Kevin smiled at him. "I just left Castles apartment. It was a good visit."

"Oh?" Javier was intrigued. He knew it had to be about Kat, which made his insides clench but he egged on the younger man. "What Castle writing another book with an Irish police detective as the main character?"

Kevin laughed "Naw,but that would be a best seller! Castle and Beckett are gone for the weekend. I had a talk with Kat." The words Javier never expected to hear came next. "I ran into Jenny this morning, and it didn't go well."

"Jenny?? You haven't seen her since…" Javier knew seeing Jenny would have crushed Kevin. There was a lot of anger and resentment there still.

"The divorce. Yeah I know. And I didn't realize how hurt I still was. But Kat let me talk through it all… She listened, and it made me feel a lot better. Partner I want to be honest with you. I know you like her, she likes you too. She told me she doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But I need you to know, I asked her out and she said yes." Kevin felt relieved getting it all out there.

Javier on the other hand felt like someone had sucker punched him. His brain picked up on parts of Kevin's speech. One part was that Kat liked him. The other was that she had accepted Kevin's invitation on a date. Dammit, he was too late! Or… Maybe not.

"Cool man." He picked up a report laying on his desk and started thumbing through it. "Looks like we caught a case."

Kevin gave his partner a squinty eyed look but said nothing, and they went about their day as usual.

Castles apartment

Dinner time

Kat had found the bottle of wine and nursed it all day. She had spent her time drinking and contemplating what happened that morning. Kevin Ryan was an amazing man. Sweet, charming, with eyes as blue as the ocean, and now she could add an amazing kisser. She fell for him that first day she saw him, she remembered how kind he was to her even though he had just met her. He didn't have to listen to her, hers wasn't a homicide case, but he did anyway. She knew he would save her, he reminded her of Rick that way.

The man that took her by surprise was Javier Esposito. His charm and wit snuck up on her, then bowled her over like a freight train. He was handsome, funny and genuinely fascinating. He had trained in the army, she could see that in his temperament. He was fast to action, sometimes reacting without thinking . But he was loyal to his friends. Even when he and Kevin fought, it was never for long. She could see herself getting in trouble with him. She shook her head and found the bottle, but opted for something stronger this time. Finding Ricks hidden stash of scotch, she cracked open the bottle and poured herself two fingers worth in a glass, then rethought and poured more. Drinking wouldn't solve her dilemma , but right now she needed something to take the edge off.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. This time Kat didnt have a panic attack, the alcohol had let loose her mind enough that she wasn't jumpy. She just opened the door a crack to find chocolate brown eyes staring at her. She grinned and opened the door. "Javi! What are you doing here?"

He held out a bag and she sniffed "Mmmmm…that doesn't smell like our typical Chinese. What is it?" She let him in and locked the door behind him.

"I got burgers from Remys. Kevin said Castle was gone, thought you might want some company?" he sat the bag on the counter and saw the bottle of scotch. "Drinking?"

Kat nodded . "I started with wine but needed something stronger. I found Ricks Macallan Single Malt. I don't know if burgers go with it, but I'm willing to try." She poured herself another glass. "You want one?" she leaned the bottle towards him.

"Sure." She poured him three fingers worth and he took a sip. "I heard Kevin came by earlier." He wasn't sure how to start the conversation, but knew he needed to.

"He did. He ran into Jenny today and was pretty upset about it." She got the burgers and fries out of the bag, and found plates for them. "We talked, it was good." She knew she shouldn't say her next words , but they came out anyway . "We kissed." She regretted it immediately. "Dammit Javi I'm sorry, that came out-" she was interrupted when Javier spun her around. He grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her to him and kissed her with enough heat to start a fire. When they pulled apart she felt faint.

It took her a second to find her voice. "What… what are you doing?"

"Kat I'm sorry. I've waited months to tell you how I feel. And I need to get this off my chest." He paused, allowing her time to stop him if she wanted to. She just downed her drink and poured another one so he continued . " I was petrified to think you were lost to us, that I might not see you again. I want to be with you."

This time she did interrupt. "What about Kevin?" she asked the one thing she knew would make him uncomfortable.

"I know he cares about you too. So I get it if you choose him…but I'm just asking for a chance, that's it." He tipped her chin up so her eyes met his. "Please, just give me that." He leaned down and kissed her again, this time more gently. When they broke apart both were light headed.

Kat needed air. "Javi, I need to take a walk and think. Give me ten minutes? I'll be back and we can eat okay?" she didn't wait for an answer. She just grabbed her coat and left.

Javier slammed his hand down on the counter. He shouldn't have done that. He slipped up, and it could have cost him the woman he couldn't get out of his head for months.

Kat walked across the street to the park by Ricks apartment building . She found the set of swings and sat on one, slightly swinging back and forth. Her mind was going a mile a minute. First was outrage – how could he kiss her like that ? Next came confusion...he knew Kevin had asked her out and she accepted, why would he cross that line? Then the heat began to rise up to her face when she thought about the actual kiss. He kissed the way he lived, hard, fast and full of passion. She hadn't felt like that in a very long time. Which made her even more confused. She pulled out her phone to call Castle, and realized she would be interrupting his life again after she swore not to. So she called Dr Burke instead. The advice he gave her was unexpected, but exactly what she needed to hear. She headed back to the apartment, ready to face Javier.

When she got back to Castles apartment Javier was there, sitting in the dark , glass of scotch in hand. He jumped up when she came in, immediately apologetic. "Kat I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that –" she held up her hand to stop him.

"Javi, here's the thing. I like you, a lot. I liked that kiss. I haven't felt like that in a very long time. I would like to keep feeling like that." Javier was in front of her in no time. "But" his face fell "I also like Kevin. And I don't want to be unfair to either one of you. I would like to go slow. If that's okay with you."

Her eyes made him melt. He could see she was struggling, and he knew he put her in a tough position . He just didn't want to keep his feelings a secret anymore. "Of course. I understand." He changed the subject "How about those burgers ?"

She smiled, thankful for the change in conversation. She accepted the plate from him, popping a fry in her mouth she silently thanked Dr Burke for his advice.


	27. chapter 27

A/N: I so SO appreciate you all! To my guest reviewer, I never intended on writing a love triangle actually. The show never really showed how deep Javier was (and I choose to believe he was deep and misunderstood). So I was trying to tap a bit into that. Not to worry Kat makes her choice. :)

Chapter 27

6 months later

Kat stepped out of the shower , feeling refreshed. Her therapy had gone well, and she was down to only one session every other week. She had finally started living her life, not afraid anymore of the monster that had terrorized her. She even planned on returning to the club to sing that night, sort of a welcome back performance. Ben had felt so awful about what had happened , he told her whenever she wanted she could perform. Tonight was it. She was ready to be back on stage. Her cases were going well too, even with the extended absence she has taken to recover. She saw Rick and Kate every week . After Kat had moved back home the two of them brought their relationship fully into existence. No longer afraid of the Captain, they began to publicly date. Kat was thrilled for her oldest friend. She hadn't seen Rick this happy in a very long time, and knew the detective was the sole reason for that joy. As for the boys? Kat smiled to herself. She had made her choice, and everything was great. Sure there were some hurt feelings, a bit of wounded pride on the rejected man's part, but to his credit he stuck around and chose to still be her friend. Which Kat was immensely happy about. She didn't want to be the cause of any bromance breakup between Javier and Kevin, but thankfully any bad feelings passed quickly and they all still hung out .

She was drying off when she heard a knock on the door. Wrapping a towel around her she went to answer, checking the peephole first. Her face lit up when she saw who was outside.

"Hey Kevin! Come in" she ushered him in and locked the door behind him. "Sorry just got out of the shower." She turned to face him and his eyes raked over her body. She blushed.

"I see that… maybe we should just stay in tonight. " he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close "I mean, do you REALLY want to go out?" he leaned down and kissed her soundly, making her forget her state of undress.

When they broke apart she shook loose the impure thoughts racing through her mind. Did she want to stay in? They could just get lost in each other…it sounded fantastic. The last few months with him had been amazing to say the least. Kat smiled brightly "As much as I would love staying home with you, we have plans. Can't keep my audience waiting!" she laughed and threw him a look over her shoulder as she walked back to the bedroom to change.

Kevin had spent the last 6 months in a daze. This woman was perfect in every sense of the word. He loved her, and was pretty sure she loved him. It had been a rough couple of weeks when she told Javi that she wanted to take things to the next level with Kevin, but in the end Javi agreed it was for the best. Kevin knew it had stung his partners ego a bit (a lot) when she chose him , but if he held any sort of resentment for the younger detective he didn't show it. They all hung out together, continuing Madden nights every week. Kat and Kevin grew closer, and the relationship did proceed to the next level, but slowly. Kevin was okay with that. He just wanted to be around her, she made him feel alive. So he was ok with going slow.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kevin was thinking so deeply he didn't notice she had come back. His eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Damn Kat. You look amazing" he took her hand and spun her around. She giggled and the sound made him smile. "Where did you get this dress?"

"What, this old thing?" Kat had gone all out for tonight. Dressed in a deep blue deep v neck dress. It was off the shoulder , and fancy enough that Kevin was re thinking his wardrobe choice . Kat could see the worry in his face. "Kev you look amazing. I'm lucky to have you as my date. I just felt like… I don't know… I wanted my last performance to be something amazing." She turned around "Can you zip me up? I'll finish getting ready."

He slowly zipped up the dress, placing a kiss on the back of her neck, then one on each shoulder blade. She shivered at the electricity that she felt when he touched her. She turned around and he captured her mouth with his. The kissing, that was one of her favorite parts of being with this man. He was so kind, gentle and never pressed his luck . If she told him to stop him would, but this time she didn't . They were interrupted a few minutes later by knocking on the door and a voice from the hall.

"Hey Kat I came to wish you luck!" Javier.

Kevin groaned and went to open the door. "Hey partner. Come on in."

"Damn. I interrupted didn't I." he could tell by the strained look on Kevin's face. "I'm sorry I can go." Javier didn't intend to break up their moment, he just had poor timing.

"No don't be silly. Stay, there are beers in the fridge." Kat announced from the bedroom "I'm just finishing up be out in a few minutes."

Javier grabbed two beers, opened them, handing one to Kevin and sat down on the couch. "She ready for this?"

Kevin took the bottle and took a pull. "I think she is. It's been 9 months since we have heard or seen anything from Tim Johnson. She's ready to put the whole thing behind her. And I am too to be honest. I just want her safe and happy."

Javier nodded. He felt the same way.

Blue Moon club

The stage was set, her song list was finalized, the band had their music. All that was left was for her to get up there and sing. She had mingled around with her friends in the audience for long enough. With a kiss from Kevin she made her way on stage.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I want to thank you so much for coming tonight. There are some very special people on the audience that I would like to thank personally. Detective Kate Beckett and the officers and detectives of the 12th precinct. Thank you so much for your diligence and hard work to solve my case. I am eternally grateful to you all." Kate smiled and made an "it was nothing" sort of gesture at her. Kat continued , looking at Kevin and Javier. "Detective Javier Esposito, who housed me for a week , putting up with my whining like a champ. Thank you." He just shrugged and have her a thumbs up. "Detective Kevin Ryan. I am so glad the universe lead me to you. You are the best person I know, and I love you so much." Kevin was a little shocked that she made that announcement in front of everyone, but he smiled back at her and mouthed I love you too. "And last but not least, my oldest and dearest friend, Richard Rodgers, or as you all know him Castle." Yes, finally Rick had come to see her perform. Boy what a show she had in store for him. "Rick swooped into my life at age 12, rescuing me from bullies that were tormenting me. And for 10 years he continued, rescuing me from situations I had stumbled into, but mostly just being there for me. It took us 30 years to get here Rick, but we did it. Can you believe we made it?" Kate leaned over and squeezed Ricks hand, she could tell he was getting emotional over his friends tribute. "I will always love you Richard, and am so happy to be a part of your family." She smiled at the red heads sitting on the other side of him with that comment. " And now, on with the show."

She stood in the middle of the stage with the spotlight on her. Taking a breath to start off her song she looked out into the audience. She saw him, and saw the gun. Her eyes widened. She knew it was going to hurt before the sound even happened. *BAM* The gunshot went off, and Kat felt the force of the bullet hitting her . She looked down and then out at the audience again, before she crumbled and went down.


	28. chapter 28

A/N: Yeah sorry for that. But don't be mad at me for too long! Kat made her choice (Yay!) But dang her luck. I'm not sure how long this story has left in it, but I'll keep it going as long as you guys like it! *quick bit of violence in this chapter*

Chapter 28

The room erupted into chaos. Rick jumped up and immediately raced on stage, protecting Kat. The detectives all spun around , guns drawn. The man they had spent 9 months chasing was standing in front of them with a gun in his hand. Amidst all the yelling of "put the gun down" the audience members that weren't a part of the stand off were ushered to safety. He knew there was no escape for him, so raised it again and was hit with a hail of bullets.

On stage Rick cradled Kat in his arms. "Come on sweetheart don't you leave me!"

Her eyes fluttered and she groaned. "Damn I knew it was going to hurt but I didn't realize it would hurt this bad." She tried raising herself up and groaned again. Okay maybe she would just lay here a minute.

"Kat! What? How?" Rick was in shock. He started checking for blood and didn't find anything . "I saw you get hit!"

She smiled up at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. Ricky, but then your performance wouldn't have been real enough, and he wouldn't have stuck around to finish the job." She grimaced when she tried to sit up. He felt her rib cage where the shot would have entered and realized she was wearing body armor.

"Kevlar?? My God Kat I thought I lost you!" his face appeared pinched and he glared out at the detectives in the audience. "I'm guessing they knew? Beckett too??"

Yes she had been protected from the bullet, but it still did some damage. She was struggling to breath, the force of the bullet had definitely bruised some ribs. As she tried to stand Kevin and Javier rushed the stage, and Rick turned his anger towards them.

"You two knew?? She could have been killed!"

Kevin's first priority was Kat so he ignored Castle and let his partner handle the irate man. He rushed to her side and helped her stand . "You okay?" Stupid question, he realized as soon as it exited his mouth, her face said it all.

"Been better. Maybe we should have stayed home tonight…" she grimaced at the movement.

Kevin gently wrapped his arm around her and helped her off the stage, through the side door and into an awaiting ambulance.

Castle meanwhile was not through with Esposito. "Do you know what could have happened to her?? Who thought this brilliant idea up?"

Javier finally had to cut him off. "She did. It was her idea Castle and a fricking genius one at that. She made sure the show was advertised pretty heavily throughout the tri-state area in case he hasn't gone too far. Turns out he didn't even cross state lines, just laid low in the southern part of the state. We've had eyes on him for a few days, but knew we needed to draw him out into the open to actually take him down. She was the one that had the idea to be bait. She's stronger than you think she is Castle. She isn't that 12 year old helpless girl anymore." Javier exited the club the same way as his partner had.

Rick stood on stage, watching the scene in front of him. It didn't feel real… then Beckett came and stood next to him, reaching for his hand and shaking him from his thoughts .

"Castle I'm so sorry I had to keep it from you… Kat made us promise not to tell you. She knew you would have told her not to do it, and to be honest there was no other way to catch the guy."

Rick shook her off. "Beckett ." Just one word, that's all he could manage. Just her name. He gave a look she had never seen from him before, and walked off to find his mother and Alexis.

Hospital

Kat had been changed into a gown, had x-rays and confirmed what she originally believed. Two bruised ribs. She would be down for at least a week. She felt horrible misleading Rick but this had to happen. The man had still been out there, and could have killed or hurt more people. He had already killed three, kidnapped her, and blackmailed another person… there was no telling what other horrible things he had done. She was settling into the hospital bed when Kevin and Javier came in. The nurse told them they only had a few minutes, but since it was "official police business" she just requested they keep it as brief as possible. She handed Kat some pain meds and left the trio alone.

"So, that just happened." Kat downed the pills with water and laid her head back on the pillow. "How pissed is Rick?"

Javier exchanged a glance with Kevin. "Well, he isn't thrilled. Do you blame him though?"

"No, I don't. I just hope he forgives me. Now I'm going to ask a stupid question…Tim…is gone right? I don't have to worry about him showing up ever again?"

Both men shook their heads rapidly back and forth.

"This whole ordeal is over Kat. You are safe." Kevin brought a chair over and sat next to her bed, grabbing her hand. "Don't worry about anything else." He kissed her knuckles and she smiled at him.

"Just get some sleep girl, you'll feel a lot better in the morning." Javier spoke from experience, he had definitely had bruised ribs before.

Kat nodded. Her eyes began to feel heavy, and the boys could tell she wouldn't hold out much longer. Javier said goodnight and let his partner have a moment with her.

Kevin leaned in and kissed her forehead. "When I saw you go down, even though I knew you were protected, it was the scariest thing I've seen in a very long time. I was worried."

She looked up at him sleepily, the pain medicine was kicking in rapidly. "Kev… I love you. Please stay with me…"

He didn't think twice. He kicked off his shoes, and laid down next to her as gently as possible. She laid her head on his chest, and immediately fell asleep. He stroked her hair, just like she had done for him not too long ago, and drifted off shortly after she did.

When his partner didn't come out after 10 minutes, Javier peeked in the room to see the two of them laying together sound asleep. He smiled, making a detour at the nurses desk to give them the heads up before heading home.


	29. chapter 29

A/N: So I had typed up part of the next chapter and didn't like it… so starting over. My last chapter I believe …

Chapter 29

1 year later

Kevin and Kat were walking hand in hand down 5th avenue window shopping. Things over the past year had been amazing. Kat healed , physically as well as emotionally and mentally from her ordeal. Kevin never left her side. Kat was lost in her thoughts about how happy she was she almost ran right into a woman coming at her. She stopped suddenly before they crashed into each other. Kevin's face dropped when he saw who she almost ran into, hoping this didn't derail the day. "Hey Jenny. It's been awhile, how are you?"

"Kevin! Hi I'm well, how are you?" Jenny glanced quickly at their hands and then to the woman who was holding on to him.

Kat stood her ground. "Hi Jenny, nice to meet you!" she dropped Kevin's hand and held hers out to shake Jenny's, who reluctantly took it.

"Hi, I recognize you… were you in the news for something?" Jenny knew EXACTLY who this woman was, but she feigned ignorant to see what Kevin would say.

"Jenny this is my girlfriend Kat. She had some trouble about a year ago, but everything is great now." He put his arm around her, in support. They didn't like to talk about that time, Kat had worked very hard to heal from it and he didn't want her to backslide.

Jenny nodded "Nice to meet you." She had a look of regret cross her face briefly. She hadn't seen Kevin this happy their entire marriage, and now she knew it wasn't because of the job, it was because of her. "You look happy Kevin. I'm glad. It was nice running into you." She smiled sadly and walked away.

Kevin and Kat continued on their path. "Well, that was awkward." Kat commented. "She seemed sad. Maybe you should talk to her ? I can wait here…"

Kevin shook his head. "Nope. She's my past, and you are all I care about now." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Speaking of that…" he dropped her hand and stopped walking "I need to ask you something."

When Kat turned around he was down on one knee.

Kat gasped when she saw him, and a crowd of people started to gather. "Kevin Ryan get up off the ground oh my gosh!" she covered her face embarrassed at the gawkers.

He refused. "I'm doing this the proper way. Katherin Elaine Bend, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" he reached for her left hand and slipped the ring he had kept hidden for the last 6 months on her finger.

She squealed "Of course I will!!" the crowd clapped and she pulled him into an embrace, forgetting temporarily about the tons of people watching .

 _Flashback_

 _Kevin stood outside Castles door, concerned. Would his friend be okay with what he was about to ask him? He had been contemplating the question for awhile, but didn't know exactly how to ask. He went ahead and knocked , praying he found Castle in a good mood._

 _He was. When he opened the door he smiled wide. "Hey Kevin! Come on in. You said you had something serious to talk to me about, what's going on?"_

 _Kevin took a deep breath and just blurted out what he had been practicing saying for the last month. "Castle you're the closest thing to family Kat has, and I wanted to do this proper… I am asking your permission to propose to her." He was slow to look at Castles face, afraid of the reaction he would get. But when he did all he saw was joy._

 _"Kevin, I am honored and touched you thought enough to ask me. And she would be too. I would be overjoyed if you asked Kat to marry you!" He pulled the man into a tight hug._

 _End flashback_

Kats first thought was of how much she loved this man in front of her. She had gone through hell and the detective had been her bright spot through it all. She couldn't wait to tell everyone. "Rick! We have to go see him, do you mind?"

Even if he did, he wouldn't have told her. He was thrilled she had said yes. "Not at all. I figured he would be our first stop." He beamed at her , unable to contain his excitement.

A/N: THE END…. Or is it?


End file.
